SELF-ALIGNED TRENCH BOTTOM PROTECTIVE REGION FOR A TRENCH-GATE METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR

1 . A method for forming a trench bottom protective region in a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, the method comprising:

forming at a top surface of a semiconductor epitaxial layer and within the semiconductor epitaxial layer a semiconductor body region;

wherein the semiconductor epitaxial layer comprises a first conductivity type, and

wherein the semiconductor body region comprises a second conductivity type;

forming a semiconductor source region within the semiconductor body region,

wherein the semiconductor body region separates the semiconductor source region from the semiconductor epitaxial layer, and

wherein the semiconductor source region comprises the first conductivity type;

etching a trench-gate opening in an exposed surface of the semiconductor source region,

wherein the trench-gate opening comprises a bottom surface, and

wherein the bottom surface comprises the semiconductor epitaxial layer; and

implanting a shielding dopant having the second conductivity type by a channeling implant process,

wherein the exposed surface of the semiconductor source region is exposed to the shielding dopant during the channeling implant process, and

wherein the shielding dopant forms the trench bottom protective region at the bottom surface of the trench-gate opening.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the channeling implant process accelerates the shielding dopant toward the MOSFET device at a low ion energy.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the low ion energy is between 30 kiloelectronvolts and 3000 kiloelectronvolts.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the channeling implant process accelerates the shielding dopant toward the MOSFET device at an implant angle, and

wherein the implant angle is measured relative to a direction normal to a surface of the MOSFET device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the implant angle is between 3.5 degrees and 4.5 degrees.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a body contact region having the second conductivity type within the semiconductor source region,

wherein the body contact region is electrically coupled with the semiconductor body region.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the body contact region is doped at a body contact doping concentration.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor body region is doped at a semiconductor body concentration.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the body contact doping concentration is greater than the semiconductor body concentration.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first conductivity type is an n-type semiconductor.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second conductivity type is a p-type semiconductor.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor epitaxial layer is doped at a first doping concentration.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor source region is doped at a second doping concentration.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first doping concentration is less than the second doping concentration.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor source region is formed using an ion implantation process.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a source region lattice structure of the semiconductor source region is intentionally damaged during the ion implantation process.

17 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the body contact region is formed using an ion implantation process.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a body contact region lattice structure of the body contact region is intentionally damaged during the ion implantation process.

19 . A trench-gate MOSFET device, comprising:

a semiconductor body region comprising a first conductivity type;

a semiconductor source region formed at a top surface of the semiconductor body region and comprising a second conductivity type;

a semiconductor epitaxial layer comprising the second conductivity type, wherein the semiconductor body region is separated from the semiconductor source region by the semiconductor body region;

a trench-gate opening etched in an exposed surface of the semiconductor source region,

wherein the trench-gate opening comprises a bottom surface, and

wherein the bottom surface comprises the semiconductor epitaxial layer; and

a trench bottom protective region formed in the semiconductor epitaxial layer at the bottom surface of the trench-gate opening, wherein the trench-gate opening is formed by:

implanting a shielding dopant having the second conductivity type by a channeling implant process,

wherein the exposed surface of the semiconductor source region is exposed to the shielding dopant during the channeling implant process, and

wherein the shielding dopant forms the trench bottom protective region at the bottom surface of the trench-gate opening.

20 . A trench-gate MOSFET device product-by-process, produced by a method comprising:

forming at a top surface of a semiconductor epitaxial layer and within the semiconductor epitaxial layer a semiconductor body region;

wherein the semiconductor epitaxial layer comprises a first conductivity type, and

wherein the semiconductor body region comprises a second conductivity type;

forming a semiconductor source region within the semiconductor body region,

wherein the semiconductor body region separates the semiconductor source region from the semiconductor epitaxial layer, and

wherein the semiconductor source region comprises the first conductivity type;

etching a trench-gate opening in an exposed surface of the semiconductor source region,

wherein the trench-gate opening comprises a bottom surface, and

wherein the bottom surface comprises the semiconductor epitaxial layer; and

implanting a shielding dopant having the second conductivity type by a channeling implant process,

wherein the exposed surface of the semiconductor source region is exposed to the shielding dopant during the implant process, and

wherein the shielding dopant forms the trench bottom protective region at the bottom surface of the trench-gate opening.