IP Library Granted Patent US 12,588,239
Granted Patent B2
US 12,588,239 · App. 18/137,075 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Method and system for routing of electrical conductors over neutralized power FETS

Inventors: Clifford Drowley (Santa Clara, CA); Andrew J. Walker (Santa Clara, CA); Andrew P. Edwards (Santa Clara, CA); Subhash Srinivas Pidaparthi (Santa Clara, CA); Thomas E. Kopley (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
H10D30/63H10D62/8503H10D84/83
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,588,239
App. No.
18/137,075
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vertical, FinFET device includes an array of FinFETs comprising a plurality of rows and columns of fins. Each of the fins has a fin length and a fin width, a first fin tip, a second fin tip, and a central region disposed between the first fin tip of a first row of the plurality of rows and the second fin tip of a second row of the plurality of rows. The central region is characterized by an electrical conductivity. The FinFET device also includes a neutralized region including the first fin tip, a region between the first row of the plurality of rows and the second row of the plurality of rows, and the second fin tip. The neutralized region is characterized by a second electrical conductivity less than the electrical conductivity of the central region. The FinFET device further includes an electrical conductor disposed over the neutralized region.

Claims (43)

1 . A vertical fin-based field effect transistor (FinFET) device comprising:

an array of FinFETs comprising a plurality of rows and columns of fins, each of the fins having a fin length and a fin width measured laterally with respect to the fin length, a first fin tip disposed at a first end, a second fin tip disposed at a second end, and a central region disposed between the first fin tip of a first row of the plurality of rows and the second fin tip of a second row of the plurality of rows, wherein the central region is characterized by an electrical conductivity;

a neutralized region including the first fin tip, a region between the first row of the plurality of rows and the second row of the plurality of rows, and the second fin tip, wherein the neutralized region is characterized by a second electrical conductivity less than the electrical conductivity of the central region; and

an electrical conductor disposed over the neutralized region.

2 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductor is in physical contact with the neutralized region.

3 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein

the neutralized region has a length measured along an x-axis and a width measured along a y-axis;

the electrical conductor has a conductor length measured along the x-axis and a conductor width measured along the y-axis; and

the conductor width of the electrical conductor is less than the width of the neutralized region.

4 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 further comprising gate contacts in electrical communication with separated fins, wherein the electrical conductor comprises a gate metal routing line.

5 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein two rows of the plurality of rows are separated by a space S, the neutralized region is characterized by a dimension DN greater than S, and the electrical conductor has a conductor width WGM, wherein S<WGM<DN.

6 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein:

the first fin tip comprises a first fin tip area;

each of the fins comprises a fin area;

the second fin tip comprises a second fin tip area;

the first fin tip area is between 1% and 10% of the fin area; and

the second fin tip area is between 1% and 10% of the fin area.

7 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein the neutralized region comprises implanted ions.

8 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein the fins comprise a III-N semiconductor.

9 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 8 wherein the III-N semiconductor comprises GaN.

10 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 1 wherein the first fin tip has a tip length and a ratio of the fin length to the tip length is greater than 10:1.

11 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 10 wherein the ratio is greater than 25:1.

12 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 11 wherein the ratio is greater than 100:1.

13 . A vertical fin-based field effect transistor (FinFET) device comprising:

an array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of fins;

a set of active FinFET cells included in the array, each active FinFET cell in the set of active FinFET cells including a fin having a fin length and a fin width measured laterally with respect to the fin length, a first fin tip disposed at a first end, a second fin tip disposed at a second end, and a central region disposed between the first fin tip and the second fin tip, wherein the central region is characterized by an electrical conductivity;

a neutralized region disposed within the array and including a set of inactive fins; and

an electrical conductor disposed over the neutralized region;

wherein each active FinFET cell in the set of active FinFET cells comprises:

a source contact electrically coupled to the central region of the fin;

a plurality of gate contacts electrically coupled to the central region; and

a drain contact electrically coupled to the central region; and

wherein the set of inactive fins are characterized by a second electrical conductivity less than the electrical conductivity of the central region.

14 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 13 further comprising a gate region surrounding the active FinFET cells, wherein the electrical conductor is electrically connected to the gate region.

15 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 13 further comprising a set of gate metal routing lines disposed between adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, wherein the neutralized region extends from a first gate metal routing line of the set of gate metal routing lines and a second gate metal routing line of the set of gate metal routing lines.

16 . A vertical fin-based vertical field effect transistor (FinFET) device comprising:

an array of FinFETs comprising a plurality of rows and columns of fins, each of the fins having a fin length and a fin width measured laterally with respect to the fin length, a first fin tip disposed at a first end, a second fin tip disposed at a second end, and a central region disposed between the first fin tip and the second fin tip, wherein a first portion of the central region is characterized by an electrical conductivity;

a neutralized region disposed in a second portion of the central region of at least a set of fins in a row of the plurality of rows of fins, wherein the neutralized region is characterized by a second electrical conductivity less than the electrical conductivity of the central region; and

an electrical conductor disposed over the neutralized region.

17 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 16 wherein the fins comprise a III-N semiconductor.

18 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 17 wherein the III-N semiconductor comprises GaN.

19 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 16 wherein the electrical conductor is in physical contact with the neutralized region.

20 . The vertical FinFET device of claim 16 wherein the first fin tip has a tip length and a ratio of the fin length to the tip length is greater than 10:1.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66783 FRAME: 161. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 24, 2024
From: NEXGEN (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 067217/0886 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Apr 24, 2024
From: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: NEXGEN (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
Reel/Frame 067852/0662 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2024
From: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 066783/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2023
From: DROWLEY, CLIFFORD; WALKER, ANDREW J.; EDWARDS, ANDREW P.; PIDAPARTHI, SUBHASH SRINIVAS; KOPLEY, THOMAS E.
To: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 063399/0855 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63333040 · Apr 20, 2022
Related Publication 20230378348A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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