IP Library Granted Patent US 12,641,867
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,867 · App. 18/446,318 · Granted May 26, 2026

Semiconductor device with integrated junction field effect transistor and associated manufacturing method

Inventors: Vipindas Pala (San Jose, CA); Sauvik Chowdhury (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
H10D84/141H10D30/0291H10D30/0297H10D30/0512H10D30/615H10D30/668H10D30/83H10D30/831H10D62/107H10D62/127
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,867
App. No.
18/446,318
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes preparing a substrate of a first conductivity type having a drain region, forming a first source region and a second source region of the first conductivity type in the substrate separated from each other, and forming a gate trench of a gate region disposed closely next to or in adjoining neighbor to the first source region. The method may further include forming a first sidewall body region of a second conductivity type to separate the first source region from the second source region, forming a link region of the second conductivity type such that the link region and the gate trench are disposed spatially opposite to each other, forming a gate insulation layer to coat and line sidewalls and a bottom of the gate trench, and using a gate conductive material to fill the gate trench.

Claims (40)

1 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

preparing a substrate of a first conductivity type having a drain region doped at least adjacent a first surface of the substrate;

forming a first source region of the first conductivity type and a second source region of the first conductivity type in the substrate, wherein the first source region is formed adjacent a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface, and wherein the second source region is formed below the first source region and separated from the first source region;

forming a gate trench of a gate region in the substrate such that the gate trench is disposed closely next to or in adjoining neighbor to the first source region;

forming a first sidewall body region of a second conductivity type below or underneath the first source region to separate the first source region from the second source region;

forming a link region of the second conductivity type such that the link region and the gate trench are respectively disposed at a first side of the first source region and a second side of the first source region, the first side of the first source region being opposite to the second side of the first source region;

forming a gate insulation layer to coat and line sidewalls and a bottom of the gate trench; and

using a gate conductive material to fill the gate trench.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the substrate includes forming an epitaxial layer atop a semiconductor layer having the drain region doped adjacent a first surface of the semiconductor layer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first source region has a first source dopant concentration and the second source region has a second source dopant concentration, and wherein the first source dopant concentration and the second source dopant concentration are higher than an epitaxial dopant concentration of the epitaxial layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a body contact region of the second conductivity type in the substrate adjacent the second surface of the substrate and closely next to or in adjoining neighbor to the first source region at the first side of the first source region, wherein the body contact region has a body contact dopant concentration higher than a first body dopant concentration of the first sidewall body region.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the link region has a link dopant concentration higher than a first body dopant concentration of the first sidewall body region.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first sidewall body region includes implanting dopants of the second conductivity type into the substrate after forming the second source region and before forming the first source region.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing an oxidation process to oxidize an uppermost portion of the gate conductive material in the gate trench to form a gate capping layer, wherein the gate capping layer has a predetermined capping thickness thicker than a predetermined gate insulation thickness of the gate insulation layer.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

an etching back process to expose areas of the second surface of the substrate un-coated by the gate capping layer;

a deposition process to form a metal layer on an entire exposed top surface of the structure formed after the etching back process;

a silicidation process to form a silicide layer on the areas of the second surface of the substrate un-coated by the gate capping layer;

a deposition process to form an interlayer dielectric layer coating the silicide layer and the gate capping layer;

an etching process to form a source contact trench through the interlayer dielectric layer to expose at least a portion of the silicide layer atop the first source region, and a gate contact trench through the interlayer dielectric layer to expose at least a portion of the gate conductive material in the gate trench; and

a metal deposition process to fill the source contact trench and the gate contact trench to respectively form a source metal contact and a gate metal contact.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first source region, the first sidewall body region, and the second source region are formed to be vertically arranged along a first sidewall of the gate region.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first sidewall body region includes implanting dopants of the second conductivity type into the substrate with a first predetermined angle with reference to the second surface of the substrate through a first sidewall of the gate trench.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the link region is formed to extend vertically down along a second sidewall of a neighboring gate region until wrapping a second bottom corner of the neighboring gate region.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the link region includes implanting dopants of the second conductivity type into the substrate with a second predetermined angle with reference to the second surface of the substrate through a second sidewall of a gate trench of a neighboring gate region.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a lightly doped region of the second conductivity type after forming the second source region, wherein forming the first source region is executed after forming the lightly doped region.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the first sidewall body region includes implanting dopants of the second conductivity type in the lightly doped region, and wherein the lightly doped region laterally extends beyond the first sidewall body region.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a second sidewall body region of the second conductivity type below or underneath the second source region, wherein the link region is separated from the second sidewall body region.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the second sidewall body region includes implanting dopants of the second conductivity type into the substrate with a first predetermined angle with reference to the second surface of the substrate through a first sidewall of the gate trench.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second sidewall body region extends from a bottom surface of the second source region vertically down along a first sidewall of the gate region until wrapping a first bottom corner of the gate region.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a JFET channel implantation region of the first conductivity type closely next to or in adjoining neighbor to the link region.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a guard region of the second conductivity type below or under the bottom of the gate trench, wherein the guard region has a guard region dopant concentration higher than a first body dopant concentration of the first sidewall body region.

20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a thick bottom oxide layer at the bottom of the gate trench after forming the gate insulation layer and before applying the gate conductive material to fill the gate trench.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2023
From: PALA, VIPINDAS; CHOWDHURY, SAUVIK
To: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065392/0907 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63398120 · Aug 15, 2022
Related Publication 20240055513A1 · Feb 15, 2024
References Cited (3)
US 20020185679A1 · Baliga · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20200203482A1 · Kaji · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200295186A1 · Jacke · 2020 [cited by examiner]