IP Library Granted Patent US 7,416,948
Granted Patent B2
US 7,416,948 · App. 11/551,992 · Granted Aug 26, 2008

Trench FET with improved body to gate alignment

Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,416,948
App. No.
11/551,992
Granted
Aug 26, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A field effect transistor is formed as follows. Trenches are formed in a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type. Each trench is partially filled with one or more materials. A dual-pass angled implant is carried out to implant dopants of a second conductivity type into the semiconductor region through an upper surface of the semiconductor region and through upper trench sidewalls not covered by the one or more material. A high temperature process is carried out to drive the implanted dopants deeper into the mesa region thereby forming body regions of the second conductivity type between adjacent trenches. Source regions of the first conductivity type are then formed in each body region.

Claims (108)

1. A method of forming a field effect transistor, comprising:

forming trenches in a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

partially filling each trench with one or more materials;

performing a dual-pass angled implant to implant dopants of a second conductivity type into the semiconductor region through an upper surface of the semiconductor region and through upper trench sidewalls not covered by the one or more material;

performing a high temperature process to drive the implanted dopants deeper into mesa region thereby forming body regions of the second conductivity type between adjacent trenches; and

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in each body region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the body region extends deeper near the trenches than in the middle of the mesa region between adjacent trenches.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of partially filling the trenches comprises:

filling the trenches with a dielectric material; and

performing a first dielectric recess to recess the dielectric material to a first depth within each trench.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

after the dual-pass angled implant, performing a second dielectric recess to further recess the dielectric material, wherein a remaining portion of the dielectric material after the second dielectric recess forms a thick bottom dielectric in a bottom portion of each trench.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench;

forming a gate electrode in each trench;

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region; and

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body regions, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body regions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of partially filling the trenches comprises:

filling a bottom portion of each trench with a shield electrode, the shield electrodes being insulated from the semiconductor region;

filling a remaining portion of each trench with a dielectric material;

performing a first dielectric recess to recess the dielectric material to a first depth within each trench.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

after the dual-pass angled implant, performing a second dielectric recess to further recess the dielectric material wherein a remaining portion of the dielectric material after the second dielectric recess forms an inter-electrode dielectric layer over the shield electrode in each trench.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

forming a shield dielectric layer lining lower sidewalls of each trench, the shield dielectric layer insulating the shield electrode in each trench from the semiconductor region;

forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, the gate dielectric layer being thinner than the shield dielectric layer;

forming a gate electrode in an upper portion of each trench, each gate electrode being insulated from its underlying shield electrode;

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region adjacent the trenches; and

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body regions, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body regions.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of partially filling the trenches comprises:

forming a shield dielectric layer lining sidewalls and bottom of each trench;

filling each trench with a conductive material; and

recessing the conductive material to a first depth within each trench.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

after the dual-pass angled implant, further recessing the conductive material into each trench, a remaining portion of each conductive material forming a shield electrode in each trench.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

prior to performing the dual-pass angled implant, thinning down portions of the shield dielectric layer not covered by the recessed conductive material.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, the gate dielectric layer being thinner than the shield dielectric layer;

forming a gate electrode in an upper portion of each trench, each gate electrode being insulated from its underlying shield electrode;

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region adjacent the trenches; and

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body region, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body region.

19. A method of forming a field effect transistor, comprising:

forming trenches in a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

filling the trenches with a dielectric material;

recessing the dielectric material to a first depth within each trench;

performing a dual-pass angled implant to implant dopants of a second conductivity type into mesa regions between adjacent trenches through upper trench sidewalls not covered by the recessed dielectric material;

after the dual-pass angled implant, further recessing the recessed dielectric material; and

performing a high temperature process to drive the implanted dopants deeper into the mesa region to thereby form a body region of the second conductivity type in the semiconductor region.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a remaining portion of the dielectric material after the second dielectric recess forms a thick bottom dielectric in a bottom portion of each trench.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

forming a gate dielectric layer lining sidewalls of each trench; and

forming a gate electrode in each trench.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region;

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body region, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body region.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the body region extends deeper near the trenches than in the middle of the mesa region between adjacent trenches.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the semiconductor includes a substrate and an epitaxial layer extending over the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower doping concentration than the substrate, the trenches extending into and terminating within the epitaxial layer.

27. A method of forming a shielded gate field effect transistor, comprising:

forming trenches in a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

filling a bottom portion of each trench with a shield electrode, the shield electrodes being insulated from the semiconductor region;

filling a remaining portion of each trench with a dielectric material;

recessing the dielectric material to a first depth within each trench;

performing a dual-pass angled implant to implant dopants of a second conductivity type into mesa regions between adjacent trenches through upper trench sidewalls not covered by the recessed dielectric material;

after the dual-pass angled implant, further recessing the recessed dielectric material; and

performing a high temperature process to drive the implanted dopants deeper into the mesa region to thereby form a body region of the second conductivity type in the semiconductor region.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein a remaining portion of the dielectric material after the two recessing steps forms an inter-electrode dielectric layer over the shield electrode in each trench.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

forming a shield dielectric layer lining lower sidewalls of each trench, the shield dielectric layer insulating the shield electrode in each trench from the semiconductor region;

forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, the gate dielectric layer being thinner than the shield dielectric layer; and

forming a gate electrode in each trench in an upper portion of each trench, each gate electrode being insulated from its underlying shield electrode.

32. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region adjacent the trenches;

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body region, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body region.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the body region extends deeper near the trenches than in the middle of the mesa region between adjacent trenches.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the semiconductor includes a substrate and an epitaxial layer extending over the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower doping concentration than the substrate, the trenches extending into and terminating within the epitaxial layer.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the semiconductor includes a substrate and an epitaxial layer extending over the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower doping concentration than the substrate, the trenches extending through the epitaxial layer and terminating within the substrate.

36. A method of forming a shielded gate field effect transistor, comprising:

forming trenches in a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

forming a shield dielectric layer lining sidewalls and bottom of each trench;

filling each trench with a conductive material;

recessing the conductive material to a first depth within each trench;

performing a dual-pass angled implant to implant dopants of a second conductivity type into mesa regions between adjacent trenches through upper trench sidewalls not covered by the recessed conductive material;

after the dual-pass angled implant, further recessing the conductive material into each trench, a remaining portion of each conductive material forming a shield electrode in each trench; and

performing a high temperature process to drive the implanted dopants deeper into the mesa region to thereby form a body region of the second conductivity type in the semiconductor region.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

prior to performing the dual-pass angled implant, thinning down portions of the shield dielectric layer not covered by the recessed conductive material.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the high temperature process comprises forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench.

39. The method of claim 36 further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, wherein the high temperature process comprises a body drive-in process.

40. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

forming a gate dielectric layer lining upper sidewalls of each trench, the gate dielectric layer being thinner than the shield dielectric layer; and

forming a gate electrode in each trench in an upper portion of each trench, each gate electrode being insulated from its underlying shield electrode.

41. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

forming source regions of the first conductivity type in the body region adjacent the trenches;

forming heavy body regions of the second conductivity type in the body region, the heavy body regions having a higher doping concentration than the body region.

42. The method of claim 36 wherein the body region extends deeper near the trenches than in the middle of the mesa region between adjacent trenches.

43. The method of claim 36 wherein the semiconductor includes a substrate and an epitaxial layer extending over the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower doping concentration than the substrate, the trenches extending into and terminating within the epitaxial layer.

44. The method of claim 36 wherein the semiconductor includes a substrate and an epitaxial layer extending over the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower doping concentration than the substrate, the trenches extending through the epitaxial layer and terminating within the substrate.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2023
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; GTAT CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064271/0971 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 058871, FRAME 0799 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065653/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 040075, FRAME 0644 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0536 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2021
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058871/0799 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2021
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057969/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057694/0374 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2016
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040075/0644 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2006
From: KRAFT, NATHAN L.; CHALLA, ASHOK; SAPP, STEVEN P.; YILMAZ, HAMZA; CALAFUT, DANIEL; PROBST, DEAN E.; RIDLEY, RODNEY S.; GREBS, THOMAS E.; KOCON, CHRISTOPHER B.; YEDINAK, JOSEPH A.; DOLNY, GARY M.
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018690/0059 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 1102627600 · Dec 29, 2004
Provisional Application 6053379000 · Dec 30, 2003
Related Publication 20070082441A1 · Apr 12, 2007