IP Library Granted Patent US 12,328,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,328,925 · App. 17/702,015 · Granted Jun 10, 2025

Semiconductor device

Inventor: Taro Kondo (Niiza, JP)
Assignees: SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.; Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
H10D64/115H10D30/668H10D62/393H10D64/01H10D64/117H10D64/252
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,328,925
App. No.
17/702,015
Granted
Jun 10, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device is disclosed including a sub-layer with first conductivity type, a drift layer with first conductivity type, a base region with second conductivity type positioned on the drift layer, a source region in contact with the base region, a source electrode, a plurality of trenches, at least one of the trenches in contact with the drift layer, the base region, and the source region, a plurality of insulating regions, at least one of the insulating regions positioned inside of each trench, a plurality of gate electrodes, at least one of the gate electrodes positioned inside of each trench; and a plurality of field plates, at least one of the field plates electrically connected to the source electrode and positioned in the insulating region in the trench. The field plate comprises high-resistance polysilicon.

Claims (77)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a sub-layer with first conductivity type;

a drift layer with first conductivity type;

a base region with second conductivity type positioned on the drift layer;

a source region in contact with the base region;

a source electrode;

a plurality of trenches, at least one of the trenches in contact with the drift layer, the base region, and the source region;

a plurality of insulating regions, at least one of the insulating regions positioned inside of each trench;

a plurality of gate electrodes, at least one of the gate electrodes positioned inside of each trench; and

a plurality of field plates, at least one of the field plates electrically connected to the source electrode and positioned in the insulating region in the trench, wherein

the drift layer comprises a first region and a second region, which is positioned between the first region and the base region, and the second region has lower impurity concentration than the first region,

a resistance between one of the field plates inside of a trench and the source electrode is 50 kΩ or more to 800 kΩ or less, and

the first region and the second region both face the field plate via the insulating region, wherein

the second region comprises such impurity concentration that a pinch-off state does not substantially occur at the second region.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the field plates comprises polysilicon having a sheet resistance of 29.7 Ω/sq or higher.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein a resistance between one of the field plates and the source electrode is 58 kΩ or more to 254 kΩ or less.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the gate electrode is positioned closer to the sub-layer side than the base region.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the gate electrode having a shortest distance from the sub-layer is positioned such that the shortest distance is shorter than a distance of the sub-layer from the base region in contact with the trench.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the base region further comprises a shallow region that is positioned deeper than the source region.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the shallow region is positioned below a contact digging structure.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the shallow region is positioned below a silicon contact.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the shallow region comprises the second conductivity type.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the shallow region has higher impurity concentration than the base region.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10 , wherein a resistance between one of the field plates and the source electrode is 58 kΩ or more to 254 kΩ or less.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

the resistance between at least one selected from the plurality of field plates and the source electrode and the resistance between at least one other field plate selected from the plurality of field plates and the source electrode are different values.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second region comprises such impurity concentration that the pinch-off state does not substantially occur at the second region during a time period in which a recovery current between the drift layer and the at least one of the plurality of field plates rises.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:

a sub-layer with first conductivity type;

a drift layer with first conductivity type;

a base region with second conductivity type positioned on the drift layer;

a source region in contact with the base region;

a source electrode;

a plurality of trenches, at least one of the trenches in contact with the drift layer, the base region, and the source region;

a plurality of insulating regions, at least one of the insulating regions positioned inside of each trench;

a plurality of gate electrodes, at least one of the gate electrodes positioned inside of each trench; and

a plurality of field plates, at least one of the field plates electrically connected to the source electrode and positioned in the insulating region in the trench, wherein

the drift layer comprises a first region and a second region, which is positioned between the first region and the base region, and the second region has lower impurity concentration than the first region,

a resistance between one of the field plates inside of a trench and the source electrode is 50 kΩ or more to 800 kΩ or less, and

the first region and the second region both face the field plate via the insulating region, wherein

a portion of the gate electrode having a shortest distance from the sub layer is positioned closer to the sub-layer by an amount in a range of 0.1 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less than a distance of the sub-layer from the base region in contact with the trench.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a sub-layer with first conductivity type;

a drift layer with first conductivity type;

a base region with second conductivity type positioned on the drift layer;

a source region in contact with the base region;

a source electrode;

a plurality of trenches, at least one of the trenches in contact with the drift layer, the base region, and the source region;

a plurality of insulating regions, at least one of the insulating regions positioned inside of each trench;

a plurality of gate electrodes, at least one of the gate electrodes positioned inside of each trench; and

a plurality of field plates, at least one of the field plates electrically connected to the source electrode and positioned in the insulating region in the trench, wherein

the drift layer comprises a first region and a second region, which is positioned between the first region and the base region, and the second region has lower impurity concentration than the first region,

a resistance between one of the field plates inside of a trench and the source electrode is 50 kΩ or more to 800 kΩ or less, and

the first region and the second region both face the field plate via the insulating region, wherein

the height of the interface between the first region and the second region is higher than the height of the bottom ⅓ of the field plate.

16. A semiconductor device comprising:

a sub-layer with first conductivity type;

a drift layer with first conductivity type;

a base region with second conductivity type positioned on the drift layer;

a source region in contact with the base region;

a source electrode;

a plurality of trenches, at least one of the trenches in contact with the drift layer, the base region, and the source region;

a plurality of insulating regions, at least one of the insulating regions positioned inside of each trench;

a plurality of gate electrodes, at least one of the gate electrodes positioned inside of each trench; and

a plurality of field plates, at least one of the field plates electrically connected to the source electrode and positioned in the insulating region in the trench, wherein

the drift layer comprises a first region and a second region, which is positioned between the first region and the base region, and the second region has lower impurity concentration than the first region,

the first region and the second region both face the field plate via the insulating region, and

the field plate includes polysilicon with a sheet resistance of 29.7 Ω/sq or higher, wherein

the resistance between at least one selected from the plurality of field plates and the source electrode is different from the resistance between at least one of the other field plates selected from the plurality of field plates and the source electrode.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16 ,

wherein a resistance between one of the field plates inside of a trench and the source electrode is 50 kΩ or more to 800 kΩ or less.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein

the base region further comprises a shallow region that is positioned deeper than the source region,

the shallow region is positioned below a contact digging structure,

the shallow region is positioned below a silicon contact,

the shallow region comprises the second conductivity type, and

the shallow region has higher impurity concentration than the base region.

Assignments (2)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064068/0459 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2022
From: KONDO, TARO
To: SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.; ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 059481/0810 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-157789 · Sep 18, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 17163626 · Feb 1, 2021
Related Publication 20220216310A1 · Jul 7, 2022
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