IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,635,191
Granted Patent B2
US 12,635,191 · App. 17/880,552 · Granted May 19, 2026

Superjunction devices formed by field assisted diffusion of dopants

Inventors: Vincenzo Lordi (Livermore, CA); Noah Patrick Allen (Oakland, CA); Qinghui Shao (Fremont, CA); Clint Duncan Frye (Livermore, CA); Kyoung Eun Kweon (Pleasanton, CA); Lars F. Voss (Livermore, CA); Joel Basile Varley (Livermore, CA)
Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
H10D62/111H10D62/8503H10D62/854H10P32/14H10P32/174H10P74/238
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,635,191
App. No.
17/880,552
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus, in accordance with one embodiment, includes a superjunction device having a voltage sustaining layer formed of a semiconductor material and a dopant in the voltage sustaining layer. The dopant is for distributing an electric field within the voltage sustaining layer. The dopant is more concentrated along a sidewall of the voltage sustaining layer than toward a center of the voltage sustaining layer, the sidewall extending at least a portion of the distance between a top surface and a bottom surface of a voltage sustaining layer. Methods of electric field-enhanced dopant diffusion to form a superjunction device are also presented.

Claims (31)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a superjunction device having a monolithic voltage sustaining layer formed of a semiconductor material and a dopant in the voltage sustaining layer,

the dopant being for distributing an electric field within the voltage sustaining layer,

the dopant being more concentrated along a sidewall of the voltage sustaining layer than toward a center of the voltage sustaining layer, the sidewall extending at least a portion of the distance between a top surface and a bottom surface of the voltage sustaining layer.

2 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant has an opposite charge when ionized than the charge of an ionized dopant in a bulk of the semiconductor material.

3 . The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein an amount of the dopant in the voltage sustaining layer is such that a charge concentration within a doped region of the voltage sustaining layer and within the remaining voltage sustaining layer are substantially balanced.

4 . The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein an amount of the dopant in a doped region of the voltage sustaining layer is sufficient to approximately balance charges within a bulk of the remaining voltage sustaining layer.

5 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a superjunction device having the voltage sustaining layer.

6 . An apparatus, comprising:

a superjunction device having a voltage sustaining layer formed of a semiconductor material and a dopant in the voltage sustaining layer,

the dopant being for distributing an electric field within the voltage sustaining layer,

the dopant being more concentrated along a sidewall of the voltage sustaining layer than toward a center of the voltage sustaining layer, the sidewall extending at least a portion of the distance between a top surface and a bottom surface of the voltage sustaining layer,

wherein the semiconductor material has no semiconductor lattice defects from ion implantation into the voltage sustaining layer.

7 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material includes a Group-III-nitride material.

8 . The apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein the Group-III-nitride material comprises a compound of a nitrogen and at least one element selected from the group consisting of: gallium, aluminum, indium, boron, scandium, and thallium.

9 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant is present throughout only a portion of the voltage sustaining layer.

10 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant is present throughout the voltage sustaining layer.

11 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant includes magnesium.

12 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of: silicon, germanium, tin, and carbon.

13 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant is a lanthanide.

14 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of: manganese, chromium, iron, nickel, vanadium, cobalt, and gadolinium.

15 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electrode layer extending along the sidewall of the voltage sustaining layer.

16 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the voltage sustaining layer does not have ion implantation damage.

17 . A method of electric field-enhanced dopant diffusion to form the superjunction device of claim 1 , the method comprising:

forming a source layer on a sidewall of a voltage sustaining layer comprised of a semiconductor material, the source layer comprising a dopant;

heating the voltage sustaining layer with source layer thereon; and

applying a voltage to the heated voltage sustaining layer for causing diffusion of the dopant from the source layer to the voltage sustaining layer thereby changing an electrical conductivity of the voltage sustaining layer.

18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein a temperature of the heating is in a range of greater than 200 degrees Celsius to less than 1000 degrees Celsius.

19 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein a time duration of the heating is less than one hour, and comprising monitoring an electrical characteristic and/or an optical property of the voltage sustaining layer during the applying, and determining when to stop the applying based on the monitoring.

20 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the heating is performed in an atmosphere that includes hydrogen; and comprising, after the heating, removing hydrogen from the voltage sustaining layer.

21 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the monolithic voltage sustaining layer is formed from a single block of the semiconductor material.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS) Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 061624/0957 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2022
From: LORDI, VINCENZO; ALLEN, NOAH PATRICK; SHAO, QINGHUI; FRYE, CLINT DUNCAN; KWEON, KYOUNG EUN; VOSS, LARS F.; VARLEY, JOEL BASILE
To: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Reel/Frame 060915/0778 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240047516A1 · Feb 8, 2024
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