1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor device having a plurality of vertical metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) unit cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vertical MOSFET is used in power electronics field. A commonly used vertical MOSFET is a trench gate MOSFET.
The vertical MOSFET includes first and second source electrode regions and a base region. When viewed from above, the three regions are arranged in the order of the first source region, the base region, and the second source region. The first and second source regions are a first conductivity type (for example, N+ source regions), and the base region is a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type (for example, a P+ base region).
An example of the semiconductor device having a plurality of vertical MOSFET unit cells is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-031484. The semiconductor device aims at increasing cell density and decreasing on-resistance.
The semiconductor device shown in
In this semiconductor device, a channel region 106 is formed only in both sides of the N+ source region 102. This device thus fails to obtain a high channel density, which impedes the achievement of higher power MOSFET.
In addition, the semiconductor device shown in
Normally in the vertical MOSFET, an avalanche current flows through the base region when a high reverse bias voltage that exceeds the withstand voltage is applied. Thus, if a reverse bias voltage increases, the avalanche current flows due to avalanche breakdown.
Hence, if base regions of a plurality of vertical MOSFETs are close to each other, a large current flow is concentrated to cause gate oxide layer breakdown and the like.
According to a first aspect of this invention, a semiconductor device comprises a plurality of unit cells, each comprising a vertical metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). The unit cell includes a first source region formed in a first base region, a second source region formed in the first base region and separated from the first source region, and a second base region formed in the first base region and disposed between the first and second source regions. The semiconductor device further comprises a trench gate formed in a vicinity of each of the plurality of unit cells. The second base region of an unit cell is separated from the second base region of an adjacent unit cell, and the first or second source region of an unit cell is separated from the first or second source region of an adjacent unit cell.
According to another aspect of this invention, a semiconductor device comprises a plurality of unit cells, each comprising a vertical metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). The unit cell includes a first source region formed in a first base region, a second source region formed in the first base region and separated from the first source region, and a second base region formed in the first base region and disposed between the first and second source regions. The semiconductor device further comprises a trench gate formed in a vicinity of each of the plurality of unit cells. A channel region in the first base region under the first and second source regions is formed along a side surface of each unit cell except for a part adjacent to the second base region
The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The invention will be now described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many alternative embodiments can be accomplished using the teachings of the present invention and that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated for explanatory purposed.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
The semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of vertical MOSFETs (unit cells) 2. The vertical MOSFET 2 is surrounded with a trench gate electrode (gate) 4, which is formed in the gap between the MOSFETs 2. The vertical MOSFET 2 is thus a trench gate MOSFET, which is also called UMOS.
The vertical MOSFET 2 has a P− base region (low concentration base region) 30 as shown in
The vertical MOSFET 2 also has a first N+ source region (first source region) 21, a P+ base region (high impurity base region) 22, and a second N+ source region (second source region) 23. When viewed from above, the three regions are arranged in the order of: the first source region 21, the base region 22, and the second source region 23.
The first N+ source region 21 is formed in the surface part of the P− base region 30. The P+ base region 22 is formed in at least the surface part of the P− base region 30. In this embodiment, the P+ base region 22 exists in the entire depth of the P base region 30 as shown in
The three regions of the first N+ source region 21, P+ base region 22, and second N+ source region 23 are each substantially rectangular-shaped when viewed from above. They are substantially cube-shaped. For simplification,
In each vertical MOSFET 2, the first N+ source region 21 and the second N+ source region 23 are separated from each other.
Further, since the gate electrode 4 exists between adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2, the N+ source regions (the first N+ source region 21 and the second N+ source region 23) of the MOSFETs 2 are separated from each other. The P+ base regions of the MOSFETs 2 are also separated from each other.
An arrangement direction C along which the three regions 21, 22, 23 are arranged when viewed from above is the same in all the vertical MOSFETs 2 as shown in
The positions of the P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 in an orthogonal direction D perpendicular to the arrangement direction C are offset from each other in the arrangement direction C as shown in
Besides the vertical MOSFETs 2, the semiconductor device 40 has P+ base regions (high impurity base regions) 3, each as a unit cell. The P+ base region has substantially the same size as the MOSFET 2. The semiconductor device 40 has the same configuration as the semiconductor device 1 except for the above. In the semiconductor device 40, some of the unit cells are not the vertical MOSFETs 2 but the P+ base regions 3.
A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device 1 and 40 is explained hereinafter with reference to
Referring first to
The N+ silicon substrate 5 preferably has a crystal face (100) and is doped with arsenic (As) of 1*1019/cm3 to 8*1019/cm3. The thickness of the N+ silicon substrate 5 is 600 to 700 μm for a wafer of 6 inches, for example.
The thickness and impurity concentration of the N− epitaxial layer 6 are determined based on the withstand voltage and on-resistance of the MOSFET. In this example, the N− epitaxial layer 6 has the thickness of about 5 μm and is doped with phosphorus (P) of about 2*1016/cm3.
Referring next to
Then, silicon etching is performed using the composite layer as a mask, thereby forming a trench 10 in the N− epitaxial layer 6.
The depth and width of the trench 10 and the distance between the trenches should be appropriate values since they affect the withstand voltage and on-resistance of the vertical MOSFET 2. However, some degree of freedom is allowed, relating to formation of an impurity diffusion layer, which is deposited later. The width of the trench 10 can be 0.5 μm or less, for example, by microfabrication. The depth of the trench 10 is preferably smaller than the thickness of the N− epitaxial layer 6 and greater than a P base layer, which is formed later. In this example, the thickness of the trench 10 is about 1 to 1.5 Referring then to
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-223891 introduces a method that grows a sacrificial oxide layer on a silicon surface in an oxygen atmosphere at about 1100° C. and then etches it away. “Proceedings of International Symposium On Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (2000)” introduces another method that performs thermal treatment in a hydrogen atmosphere at about 950° C.
Then, referring to
To ensure that the trench 10 is filled with the polysilicon 12, the thickness of the polysilicon 12 is greater than the opening width of the trench 10. For example, if the opening width of the trench 10 is 0.35 μm, the thickness of the polysilicon 12 is 0.35 to 0.7 μm since the opening width of the trench 10 can increase by the rounding process.
The polysilicon 12 is preferably low-resistance since it serves as the gate electrode 4. One way is to diffuse P or As into the deposited polysilicon 12 to make it high-concentration N type. Another way is to deposit the polysilicon 12 with the impurity doped thereinto.
Referring then to
After that, an oxide layer is grown on the gate electrode 4 and the gate oxide layer 11 by CVD and then etched back until the surface of the N− epitaxial layer 6 is exposed, as shown in
Referring now to
In this process, the implantation of B ion with the energy of 30 to 80 keV and the dose amount of 5*1012/cm2 to 5*1013/cm2 and the thermal treatment at 9500 to 1150° C. for several ten minutes allow formation of the P− base region 30 with the thickness of about 0.5 to 1.5 μm. The temperature of the thermal treatment may be set according to the desired depth of the P− base region 30.
Further, in the upper part of the P base region thus formed, As ion implantation and thermal treatment in an oxide or nitride atmosphere are performed successively. The ion implantation and thermal treatment change the upper part of the P− base layer 30 into the N+ source region 21 or 23, as shown in
In this process, the implantation of As ion with the energy of 30 to 100 keV and the dose amount of 1*1015/cm2 to 5*1016/cm2 and the thermal treatment at 800° to 900° C. for several minutes to several ten minutes allow formation of the N+ source region 21, 23 with the thickness of about 0.1 to 0.5 μm.
After that, the photoresist mask 13 is removed as shown in
Referring then to
After that, the photoresist mask 14 is removed as shown in
Finally, a barrier metal 15 made of titanium (Ti) or titanium nitride (TiN), for example, is deposited, and an aluminum layer 16 is formed thereon, as shown in
The above processes produce the semiconductor device 1 and 40 as shown in
In the above manufacturing process, the thermal treatment process at the stage of
Alternatively, the ion implantation process at the stage of
As described in the foregoing, each unit cell of the semiconductor device is a vertical MOSFET 2 surrounded with the trench gate electrode 4 disposed between the unit cells. The vertical MOSFET 2 has the P− base region 30 in the area surrounded with the gate electrode 4. The vertical MOSFET 2 further has the first N+ source region (first source region) 21, the P+ base region (high impurity base region) 22, and the second N+ source region (second source region) 23. The three regions are formed in the surface part of the P base region 30. The P+ base region 22 may reach the bottom of the P− base region 30. When viewed from above, the three regions are arranged in such a way that the high concentration base region is placed between the first and second source regions.
Thus, the P− base region 30 exists at least under the first and second N+ source regions 21 and 23. The first and second N+ source regions 21 and 23 of one vertical MOSFET 2 are separated from each other. The P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 are also separated from each other. The N+ source regions (the first and second N+ source regions 21 and 23) of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 are also separated form each other.
A channel region 18 in the P base region 30 under the first and second N+ source regions 21 and 23 of the vertical MOSFET 2 is thereby formed along the gate electrode 4, as shown in
In the above embodiment, the first N+ source region 21, P+ base region 22, and second N+ source region 23 are substantially rectangular-shaped. Thus, the channel region 18 is substantially U-shaped when viewed from above.
This embodiment allows higher integration density than the configuration of
This embodiment thereby achieves lower on-resistance.
As described earlier, the positions of the P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 in the orthogonal direction D perpendicular to the arrangement direction C are offset from each other in the arrangement direction C. In other words, the P+ base regions 22 are not aligned. This avoids concentration of the avalanche current flowing through each of the P+ base regions 22, thereby achieving high breakdown resistance.
Particularly, since the offset distance is one-half of the length L in the arrangement direction C of the vertical MOSFET 2, the positions of the P+ base regions 22 are optimized, thereby achieving a highest breakdown resistance possible.
In the semiconductor device of this invention, it is possible to arrange the vertical MOSFETs 2 in such a way that the gap between the MOSFETs 2 is cross-shaped. However, in this case, it is difficult to completely fill the gap with the polysilicon 12 (gate electrode 4), causing a hole or recess to be formed at a center part 19 of the cross.
To avoid this, the semiconductor device 1 and 40 place the vertical MOSFETs 2 in such a way that the gap between the MOSFETs 2 is T-shaped. This allows the gap to be easily filled with the polysilicon 12. This prevents formation of a hole or recess in the gap area.
The above explanation shows the case where the first and second source regions are N+ source regions 21 and 23, the high concentration base region is the P+ base regions 22 and 3, and the low-concentration base region is the P− base region 30. This invention, however, is not limited thereto, and the conductivity type of each region may be opposite. The first and second source regions may be P+ source regions, the high concentration base region may be an N+ base region, and the low-concentration base region may be an N− base region. In this case, the semiconductor substrate is P+ type and the epitaxial layer is P− type.
The above explanation shows the case where the positions of the P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 in the orthogonal direction D perpendicular to the arrangement direction C are offset from each other in the arrangement direction C. This invention, however, is not limited thereto. The concentration of the avalanche current can be avoided if the positions of the P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 are offset from each other either in the arrangement direction C or in the orthogonal direction D. Thus, for example, the positions of the P+ base regions 22 of adjacent vertical MOSFETs 2 may be offset from each other in the orthogonal direction D perpendicular to the arrangement direction C, as shown in
It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, that may be modified and changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
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