IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,218,255
Granted Patent B2
US 12,218,255 · App. 17/572,360 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

High voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode

Inventors: Luke Yates (Albuquerque, NM); Brendan P. Gunning (Albuquerque, NM); Mary H. Crawford (Albuquerque, NM); Jeffrey Steinfeldt (Rio Rancho, NM); Michael L. Smith (Albuquerque, NM); Vincent M. Abate (Albuquerque, NM); Jeramy R. Dickerson (Edgewood, NM); Andrew M. Armstrong (Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM); Andrew Binder (Albuquerque, NM); Andrew A. Allerman (Tijeras, NM); Robert J. Kaplar (Albuquerque, NM); Jack David Flicker (Albuquerque, NM); Gregory W. Pickrell (Rio Rancho, NM)
Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
H01L29/8611H01L29/2003H01L29/452H01L29/66136
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,218,255
App. No.
17/572,360
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vertical gallium nitride (GaN) PN diode uses epitaxial growth of a thick drift region with a very low carrier concentration and a carefully designed multi-zone junction termination extension to achieve high voltage blocking and high-power efficiency. An exemplary large area (1 mm 2 ) diode had a forward pulsed current of 3.5 A, an 8.3 mΩ-cm 2 specific on-resistance, and a 5.3 kV reverse breakdown. A smaller area diode (0.063 mm 2 ) was capable of 6.4 kV breakdown with a specific on-resistance of 10.2 mΩ-cm 2 , when accounting for current spreading through the drift region at a 45° angle.

Claims (16)

1. A high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode, comprising:

a high-doped n-type gallium nitride substrate or contact layer;

a low-doped n-type gallium nitride drift layer epitaxially grown on the gallium nitride substrate, wherein the drift layer is greater than 10 microns in thickness and has a donor concentration of less than 2×10 15 /cm 3 ;

a p-type region comprising one or more p-type layers epitaxially grown on the drift layer, thereby forming a PN junction with the drift layer;

an ohmic cathode contact deposited on the high-doped n-type gallium nitride substrate or contact layer;

an ohmic anode contact deposited on the p-type region; and

a step-etched multi-zone junction termination extension structure laterally surrounding the anode contact in the p-type region.

2. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the low-doped n-type gallium nitride drift layer is grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition under compensation doping conditions.

3. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the drift layer is equal to or greater than 50 microns in thickness.

4. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the area of the anode contact is greater than 0.01 mm 2 .

5. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 4 , wherein the area of the anode contact is greater than 0.1 mm 2 .

6. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the p-type region comprises a moderately doped p-type gallium nitride layer epitaxially grown on the drift layer and a high-doped p-type gallium nitride layer epitaxially grown on the moderately doped p-type gallium nitride layer.

7. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 6 , wherein the moderately doped p-type gallium nitride layer has an acceptor concentration of less than 10 19 cm −3 .

8. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 6 , wherein the high-doped p-type gallium nitride layer has an acceptor concentration of greater than 10 19 cm −3 .

9. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the step-etched multi-zone junction termination extension structure comprises two or more zones.

10. The high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode of claim 1 , wherein the PN diode has an avalanche breakdown voltage of greater than 5 kV in reverse bias.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2022
From: YATES, LUKE; GUNNING, BRENDAN P.; CRAWFORD, MARY H.; STEINFELDT, JEFFREY; SMITH, MICHAEL L.; ABATE, VINCENT M.; DICKERSON, JERAMY R.; ARMSTRONG, ANDREW M.; BINDER, ANDREW; ALLERMAN, ANDREW A.; KAPLAR, ROBERT J.; FLICKER, JACK DAVID; PICKRELL, GREGORY W.
To: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
Reel/Frame 059617/0144 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 059161/0267 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 16589428 · Oct 1, 2019
Provisional Application 62743287 · Oct 9, 2018
Related Publication 20220165888A1 · May 26, 2022
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