This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-049398, filed Mar. 12, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to semiconductor devices.
Nitride semiconductor material has good material properties for some applications, such those requiring low electrical resistance or mechanical strength. A field-effect transistor having a heterojunction interface between a gallium nitride (GaN) layer and an aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) layer has been studied. However, since such a transistor has small gate capacitance, the transistor is vulnerable to static electricity although the small gate capacitance also allows the transistor to be fast switching.
An embodiment provides a semiconductor device having improved electrostatic breakdown resistance.
In general, according to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer on a first portion of the first semiconductor layer. A first control electrode is on a second portion of the first semiconductor layer with a first insulating layer being between the first control electrode and second portion of the first semiconductor layer in a first direction. A second control electrode is on the second portion of the first semiconductor layer and spaced from the first control electrode in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A second insulating layer is between the second control electrode and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer. A wiring that electrically connects the first control electrode and the second control electrode is included. The device a distance in the first direction between the second control electrode and the first semiconductor layer is greater than a distance in the first direction between the first control electrode and the first semiconductor layer.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
The semiconductor device of
The substrate 1 is, for example, a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate.
The buffer layer 2 is formed on the substrate 1. The buffer layer 2 is, for example, a stacked film layer including an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer, an AlGaN layer, a GaN layer, and so forth. The buffer layer 2 may be doped with carbon atoms.
The electron travelling layer 3 is formed on the buffer layer 2. The electron travelling layer 3 may be referred to as a carrier layer or a channel layer. The electron travelling layer 3 is, for example, an n-type, a p-type, or an i-type (intrinsic) GaN layer. The electron travelling layer 3 may be a nitride semiconductor layer having a composition expressed as AlxGa1-xN (0≦X≦1). A reference symbol 3a indicates a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) layer that is generated in the electron travelling layer 3 proximate to the interface between the electron travelling layer 3 and the electron supply layer 4.
The electron supply layer 4 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3. The electron supply layer 4 is, for example, an n-type, a p-type, or an i-type AlGaN layer. The electron supply layer 4 may be a nitride semiconductor layer having a composition expressed as AlyGa1-yN (0≦Y≦1, X<Y). The electron supply layer 4 according to this embodiment has a band gap that is wider than that of the electron travelling layer 3.
The element isolation area 5 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3. The lower end of the element isolation area 5 according to this embodiment is set at a lower level than the upper end of the electron travelling layer 3. The upper end of the element isolation area 5 according to this embodiment is set at the same level as the upper end of the electron supply layer 4. When the element isolation area 5 is viewed from above, the element isolation area 5 has a shape surrounding the source electrode 11, the drain electrode 12, the first gate electrode 14, and the second gate electrode 16.
The source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12 are formed on the electron supply layer 4 and form Ohmic contact with the electron supply layer 4. The source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12 are formed in such a way as to place the first gate electrode 14 between the source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12. Moreover, the source electrode 11 is formed between the first gate electrode 14 and the second gate electrode 16. Although the lower ends of the source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12 according to this embodiment are set at a lower level than the upper end of the electron supply layer 4, the lower ends of the source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12 may instead be set at the same level as the upper end of the electron supply layer 4.
The first gate electrode 14 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the first gate insulating layer 13 interposed between the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3. Moreover, the first gate insulating layer 13 is in contact with the electron travelling layer 3. A lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14, according to this embodiment, is set at a lower level than the lower ends of the source electrode 11 and the drain electrode 12. The lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 is an example of one end of the first control electrode on the side where the first insulating layer is located.
The second gate electrode 16 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the second gate insulating layer 15 interposed between the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3. Moreover, the second gate insulating layer 15 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the electron supply layer 4 interposed between the second gate insulating layer 15 and the electron travelling layer 3. The thickness of the second gate insulating layer 15, according to this embodiment, is set at the same thickness as the thickness of the first gate insulating layer 13. Furthermore, a lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16, according to this embodiment, is set at a higher level than the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14. As a result, the distance between the lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16, according to this embodiment, and the electron travelling layer 3 is set so as to be greater than the distance between the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3. The lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16 is an example of one end of the second control electrode on the side where the second insulating layer is located.
The wiring electrode 17 is formed on the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16. Since the first gate electrode 14 and the second gate electrode 16 are electrically connected to each other by the wiring electrode 17, the same gate voltage is applied to the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16.
The first gate electrode 14 forms a first element D1. The first element D1 functions as a field-effect transistor. Since the first gate electrode 14 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 without the electron supply layer 4 interposed between the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3, the first element D1 functions as a normally-off type transistor having nearly zero threshold voltage. Note that, since the first element D1 is a normally-off type transistor, the 2DEG layer 3a does not exist in a region immediately below the first gate electrode 14.
The second gate electrode 16 forms a second element D2. The second element D2 functions as a field-effect transistor. Since the second gate electrode 16 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the electron supply layer 4 interposed between the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3, the second element D2 functions as a normally-on type transistor. Therefore, a threshold voltage of the second element D2 has a negative value.
In this first embodiment, the distance between the lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3 is set so as to be greater than the distance between the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3. The reason is as follows. The thicker the electron supply layer 4 between the lower ends S1 and S2 and the electron travelling layer 3 becomes, the lower the threshold voltages of the first and second elements D1 and D2 become. Therefore, the threshold voltage of the second element D2 is set so as to be lower than the threshold voltage of the first element D1.
The horizontal axis of
The first element D1 is a normally-off type transistor, and the threshold voltage of the first element D1 is nearly 0. Therefore, the value of a drain current Id in the curve C1 is nearly 0 when a gate voltage Vg is 0.
The second element D2 is a normally-on type transistor, and the threshold voltage of the second element D2 is less than 0. Therefore, the value of the drain current Id in the curve C2 is positive when the gate voltage Vg is 0. In the curve C2, the threshold voltage of the second element D2 is −V0.
A reference symbol R1 indicates a region in which the value of the gate voltage Vg is from −V0 to 0. The semiconductor device according to this embodiment may turn on the second element D2 even when the first element D1 is off by setting the gate voltage Vg of the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16 at a value in the region R1.
(1) Details of the Semiconductor Device According to the First Embodiment
Next, with reference to
When the gate voltage Vg is set so as to be positive, the first element D1 is turned on. Moreover, when the gate voltage Vg is set so as to be negative, the first element D1 is turned off. In these cases, by setting the value of the gate voltage Vg at a value higher than −V0, it is possible to turn on the second element Dz at all times irrespective of whether the first element D1 is on or off.
When the second element D2 is on at all times, the 2DEG layer 3a always exists in the electron travelling layer 3. The 2DEG layer 3a spreads from a region under the source electrode 11 to a region under the second gate electrode 16. Therefore, the region under the second gate electrode 16 is in a state in which the region is electrically connected to the source electrode 11.
Therefore, the second gate electrode 16, the second gate insulating layer 15, the electron travelling layer 3, and the electron supply layer 4 form an MIS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) capacitor formed of a metal layer, an insulating layer, and a semiconductor layer. The second gate electrode 16 functions as an upper electrode of the MIS capacitor, and the electron travelling layer 3 and the electron supply layer 4 function as a lower electrode of the MIS capacitor. Moreover, an electron in the 2DEG layer 3a may function as a free electron of the lower electrode.
The second gate electrode 16 is electrically connected to the first gate electrode 14 by the wiring electrode 17. Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the first gate electrode 14 is connected to an MIS capacitor, it is effectively possible to increase the gate capacitance of the first element D1. Furthermore, by setting the value of the gate voltage Vg at a value higher than −V0, the first element D1 may always have an MIS capacitor irrespective of whether the first element D1 is on or off.
Since the threshold voltage of the second element D2, according to this embodiment, is lower than the threshold voltage of the first element D1, the gate voltage Vg becomes lower than the threshold voltage of the first element D1, which makes it possible to maintain an on state of the second element D2 even after the first element D1 is turned off. When the second element D2 is turned off, the capacitance of the MIS capacitor fluctuates by the gate voltage Vg. Fluctuations in the capacitance of the MIS capacitor of the first element D1 are undesirable from the viewpoint of the operation of the semiconductor device. However, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the second element Dz from being turned off and therefore maintain the capacitance of the MIS capacitor at an almost constant level.
In this embodiment, the first element D1 is used as a transistor and the second element D2 is used as an MIS capacitor. According to this embodiment, by providing the MIS capacitor (the second element D2) in the transistor (the first element D1), it is possible to improve the electrostatic breakdown resistance of the transistor by the MIS capacitor.
Moreover, the MIS capacitor according to this embodiment has an MIS structure formed of a metal layer, an insulating layer, and a semiconductor layer. On the other hand, a common capacitor type has an MIM (metal-isolator-metal) structure formed of a metal layer, an insulating layer, and a metal layer. The MIS capacitor according to this embodiment has an advantage that it is possible to simplify the production process of a capacitor provided in a transistor. For example, since the semiconductor layers of the MIS capacitor according to this embodiment are the electron travelling layer 3 and the electron supply layer 4, there is no need for an extra process to form a semiconductor layer for the MIS capacitor. Furthermore, it is possible to form the second gate insulating layer 15 and the second gate electrode 16 of the MIS capacitor according to this embodiment by using the same material as the material of the first gate insulating layer 13 and the first gate electrode 14 in the same process as the first gate insulating layer 13 and the first gate electrode 14. As described above, it is possible to produce the MIS capacitor according to this embodiment by using the same materials and production processes of the transistor.
(2) Modified Example of the Semiconductor Device According to the First Embodiment
The first gate insulating layer 13 of
On the other hand, the first gate insulating layer 13 of
The semiconductor device according to this embodiment may have a structure depicted in
As described above, the semiconductor device according to this modified first embodiment includes the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16 and the wiring electrode 17 that electrically connects the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16, and the distance between the lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3 is set so as to be greater than the distance between the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3.
Therefore, it is possible to improve the electrostatic breakdown resistance of the transistor (the first element D1) by the MIS capacitor (the second element D2). It is also possible to suppress a gate-leakage current of the transistor formed by the second element Dz while implementing a transistor that suffers less fluctuation in threshold voltage.
The first and second gate insulating layers 13 and 15 according to this embodiment are formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the electron supply layer 4 interposed between the first and second gate insulating layers 13 and 15 and the electron travelling layer 3. Moreover, the thickness of the electron supply layer 4 between the first and second gate insulating layers 13 and 15 and the electron travelling layer 3 is set at a thickness that allows the first and second elements D1 and D2 to function as a normally-on type transistor. As a result, each of the first and second elements D1 and D2 functions as a normally-on type transistor. Therefore, the threshold voltages of the first and second elements D1 and D2 have a negative value.
The second gate insulating layer 15 is formed on the electron travelling layer 3 with the electron supply layer 4 and the element isolation area 5 interposed between the second gate insulating layer 15 and the electron travelling layer 3. Moreover, the thickness of the second gate insulating layer 15 is set so that the second gate insulating layer 15 becomes thicker than the first gate insulating layer 13. Furthermore, the distance between the lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3 (the 2DEG layer 3a) is set so as to be greater than the distance between the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3 (the 2DEG layer 3a). The threshold voltage of the second element D2 is thus set so as to be lower than the threshold voltage of the first element D1.
The first element D1 is a normally-on type transistor, and the threshold voltage of the first element D1 is less than 0. Therefore, the value of the drain current Id in the curve C1 is positive when the gate voltage Vg is 0. In the curve C1, the threshold voltage of the first element D1 is −V1.
The second element D2 is also a normally-on type transistor, and the threshold voltage of the second element D2 is less than 0. Therefore, the value of the drain current Id in the curve C2 is positive when the gate voltage Vg is 0. In the curve C2, the threshold voltage of the second element D2 is −V2. The threshold voltage −V2 of the second element D2 is set so as to be lower than the threshold voltage −V1 of the first element D1.
A reference symbol R2 indicates a region in which the value of the gate voltage Vg is from −V2 to −V1. The semiconductor device according to this embodiment may turn on the second element D2 even when the first element D1 is off by setting the gate voltage Vg of the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16 at a value in the region R2.
(1) Details of the Semiconductor Device According to the Second Embodiment
When the gate voltage Vg is set so as to be higher than −V1, the first element D1 is turned on. Moreover, when the gate voltage Vg is set so as to be lower than −V1, the first element D1 is turned off. In these cases, by setting the value of the gate voltage Vg at a value higher than −V2, it is possible to turn on the second element D2 at all times irrespective of whether the first element D1 is on or off.
When the second element D2 according to this embodiment is on at all times, the 2DEG layer 3a always exists in the electron travelling layer 3. The 2DEG layer 3a spreads from the region under the source electrode 11 to the region under the second gate electrode 16. Therefore, the region under the second gate electrode 16 is in a state in which the region is electrically connected to the source electrode 11.
Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the second gate electrode 16, the second gate insulating layer 15, the electron travelling layer 3, and the electron supply layer 4 according to this embodiment form an MIS capacitor formed of a metal layer, an insulating layer, and a semiconductor layer. The second gate electrode 16 functions as an upper electrode of the MIS capacitor, and the electron travelling layer 3 and the electron supply layer 4 function as a lower electrode of the MIS capacitor. Moreover, electrons in the 2DEG layer 3a may function as a free electron of the lower electrode.
As described above, the semiconductor device according to this second embodiment includes the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16 and the wiring electrode 17 that electrically connects the first and second gate electrodes 14 and 16, and the distance between the lower end S2 of the second gate electrode 16 and the electron travelling layer 3 is set so as to be greater than the distance between the lower end S1 of the first gate electrode 14 and the electron travelling layer 3.
Therefore, according to this second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to improve the electrostatic breakdown resistance of the transistor (the first element D1) by use of the MIS capacitor (the second element D2).
A cross section taken on the line A-A′ in the plan view of
The semiconductor device of
The electron supply layer 4 depicted in
The semiconductor device of
When the second gate electrode 16 is added to the semiconductor device, there would typically be apprehension that the element area of the semiconductor device may have to increase due to the addition of the second gate electrode 16. However, since the second gate electrode 16 according to this embodiment is also a gate pad, it is possible to add the second gate electrode 16 to the semiconductor device without increasing the element area of the semiconductor device.
Moreover, according to this third embodiment, by adjusting the area and the area ratio of the first and second regions 16a and 16a, it is possible to adjust the capacitance of the above-described MIS capacitor.
Incidentally, the structure of the second gate electrode 16 according to this embodiment may be applied not only to the second embodiment but also to the first embodiment.
Moreover, in the first to third embodiments, any materials and structures may be adopted as the materials and structures of the substrate 1 and the buffer layer 2. Moreover, the first to third embodiments may also be applied to a semiconductor device provided with other transistors and diodes.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-049398 | Mar 2014 | JP | national |