IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,438,942
Granted Patent B2
US 10,438,942 · App. 15/279,637 · Granted Oct 8, 2019

Field-effect transistor with protection diodes

Inventors: Hiroaki Maehara (Tokyo, JP); Miyo Miyashita (Tokyo, JP); Kazuya Yamamoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
H01L27/0266H01L21/8252H01L23/535H01L27/0248H01L27/0288H01L27/0605H01L27/0629H01L27/0251H01L29/2003H01L29/7786H01L29/8605H01L29/872
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,438,942
App. No.
15/279,637
Granted
Oct 8, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A field-effect transistor with protection diodes includes: a field-effect transistor; and a two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit connected between a gate and a source of the field-effect transistor, wherein the two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit comprises: a first diode that is positioned on a reverse-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the source is applied to the gate and has a reverse withstand voltage lower than a reverse withstand voltage between the gate and the source of the field-effect transistor; a second diode that is positioned on a forward-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the source is applied to the gate and is connected in anti-series to the first diode; and a resistor that is connected in series to a diode pair comprising the first diode and the second diode and formed using a same channel layer as that of the field-effect transistor.

Claims (32)

1. A field-effect transistor with protection diodes, comprising:

a field-effect transistor; and

a two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit connected between a gate and a source of the field-effect transistor,

wherein the two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit comprises:

a first diode that is positioned on a reverse-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the source is applied to the gate and has a reverse withstand voltage lower than a reverse withstand voltage between the gate and the source of the field-effect transistor;

a second diode that is positioned on a forward-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the source is applied to the gate and is connected in anti-series to the first diode; and

a resistor that is connected in series to a diode pair comprising the first diode and the second diode, wherein the resistor is formed using a same channel layer as that of the field-effect transistor, the same channel layer in which the field-effect transistor and the resistor are formed comprising plural layers of different materials.

2. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein the first diode is connected in plurality in series with a same polarity in a direction in which a current flows.

3. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein a Schottky junction area of the second diode is within a range of ½ to ¼ of a Schottky junction area of the first diode.

4. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein in a layout of an anode electrode of the first diode, both an area of an overlapping portion between the anode electrode and a lead wire of the anode electrode and an area of a contact hole that connects the anode electrode to the lead wire occupy ⅔ or more of an area of the anode electrode.

5. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein the diode pair, the resistor and the field-effect transistor are manufactured on an identical III-V group semiconductor substrate.

6. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein the diode pair and the resistor are manufactured on a semiconductor substrate different from a semiconductor substrate on which the field-effect transistor is manufactured.

7. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein the field-effect transistor is a GaN field-effect transistor, and the diode pair and the resistor are manufactured on a GaAs or InP or Si or glass or sapphire substrate.

8. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein

the resistor is a channel resistor, and has a current saturation characteristic wherein current saturation caused by the current saturation characteristic is performed after reverse breakdown of the first or second diodes starts.

9. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 1 , wherein the plural layers comprise an AlGaN layer and a GaN layer.

10. A field-effect transistor with protection diodes, comprising:

a first field-effect transistor; and

a two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit connected between a first gate and a first source of the first field-effect transistor,

wherein the two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit comprises:

a first diode that is positioned on a reverse-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the first source is applied to the first gate and has a reverse withstand voltage lower than a reverse withstand voltage between the first gate and the first source of the first field-effect transistor;

a second diode that is positioned on a forward-biased side when a voltage lower than a potential of the first source is applied to the first gate and is connected in anti-series to the first diode;

a second field-effect transistor that is connected in series to a diode pair comprising the first diode and the second diode and has a second gate and a second source which are connected to each other; and

a resistor formed using a same channel layer as that of the first field-effect transistor and connected in series to the two-terminal electrostatic protection circuit, the same channel layer in which the first field-effect transistor and the resistor are formed comprising plural layers of different materials.

11. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein a Schottky junction area of the second diode is within a range of ½ to ¼ of a Schottky junction area of the first diode.

12. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein in a layout of an anode electrode of the first diode, both an area of an overlapping portion between the anode electrode and a lead wire of the anode electrode and an area of a contact hole that connects the anode electrode to the lead wire occupy ⅔ or more of an area of the anode electrode.

13. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein the diode pair, and the first field-effect transistor, and the second field-effect transistor are manufactured on an identical III-V group semiconductor substrate.

14. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein the diode pair and the second field-effect transistor are manufactured on a semiconductor substrate different from a semiconductor substrate on which the first field-effect transistor is manufactured.

15. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein the first field-effect transistor is a GaN field-effect transistor, and the diode pair and the second field-effect transistor are manufactured on a GaAs or InP or Si or glass or sapphire substrate.

16. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein

the second field-effect transistor has a current saturation characteristic wherein current saturation caused by the current saturation characteristic is performed after reverse breakdown of the first or second diodes starts.

17. The field-effect transistor with protection diodes according to claim 10 , wherein plural layers comprise an AlGaN layer and a GaN layer.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THIRD ASSIGNOR LAST NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 039893 FRAME: 0714. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 3, 2016
From: MAEHARA, HIROAKI; MIYASHITA, MIYO; YAMAMOTO, KAZUYA
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040204/0379 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2016
From: MAEHARA, HIROAKI; MIYASHITA, MIYO; AMAMOTO, KAZUYA
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039893/0714 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-022499 · Feb 9, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170229445A1 · Aug 10, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,581,744