This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-204122, filed Sep. 20, 2011; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate to a semiconductor device.
In recent years, in addition to the switching power supply market which requires devices with high current and high voltage capability, demand for a power MOSFET in an energy-saving switching power supply market, first for laptops and now in mobile communication equipment and the like, has arisen. A power MOSFET is used for synchronous rectification in AC-DC converters in a power supply. In this case, in addition to a breakdown voltage of about 80-250 V, low on-resistance structure and switching loss reduction are required.
Here, a MOSFET having a trench MOS structure is used in order to reduce on-resistance of the power MOSFET. This MOSFET of trench MOS structure has a plurality of trenches at predetermined interval on a semiconductor layer which becomes a channel region. On an inner wall of this trench, an insulating film which is the gate insulating film is formed, and through this insulating film, a conductive film providing the gate electrode is formed inside the trench. By miniaturizing the width of the trench or the width of the semiconductor layer between the trenches, channel density in internal elements can be improved.
In the case where a MOSFET having reduced on-resistance using the structure described above, the breakdown voltage of an end region adjacent thereto has to be ensured, which has been problematic in current designs.
In general, according to one embodiment, the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment will be explained by referring to the attached and referenced drawing figures. After having explained the schematic configuration of a semiconductor device according to the first and the second prior art comparative examples, a semiconductor device according to the embodiments, will be described.
According to the embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device which enables an improvement of breakdown voltage and a reduction in on-resistance.
A semiconductor device according to a first embodiment: includes: a first region which functions as a MOSFET; and a second region which is adjacent to the first region; the first region comprising, a drain electrode of the MOSFET; a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type which has a first impurity concentration while being electrically connected to the drain electrode; a first semiconductor layer (formed on top of the semiconductor substrate) of the first conductivity type which has a second impurity concentration which is lower than the first impurity concentration; a second semiconductor layer (formed on the surface of the first semiconductor layer) of the first conductivity type which has a third impurity concentration which is lower than the first impurity concentration but higher than the second impurity concentration; a plurality of first trenches formed on the upper side of the second semiconductor layer; a third semiconductor layer (formed on the surface of the second semiconductor layer) of the second conductivity type, which is adjacent to the first trenches; a fourth semiconductor layer (formed on the surface of the third semiconductor layer) of the first conductivity type which is adjacent to the first trenches; a first insulating layer which is formed along inner walls of the first trenches; a gate electrode layer (provided in the middle of the insulating layer) which functions as a MOSFET gate electrode and is opposed to the third semiconductor layer through the first insulating layer; a trench source electrode layer which is formed in order to embed the first trenches through the first insulating layer; and a MOSFET source electrode which contacts the fourth semiconductor layer and which is electrically connected to the trench source electrode layer, and the second region comprising: the semiconductor substrate; the first semiconductor layer; the first insulating layer formed in order to extend to the upper face of the first semiconductor layer; and the source electrode formed in order to extend to the upper face of the first insulating layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer of the second region has the second impurity concentration.
First, the cell unit will be described. As shown in
The n+ type semiconductor substrate 12 is provided on drain electrode 11 and is electrically connected to drain electrode 11. The n+ type semiconductor substrate 12 can have an impurity concentration of 1×1020 [atoms/cm3]. The n− type epitaxial layer 13 is formed on n+ type semiconductor substrate 12. The n− type epitaxial layer 13 is smaller than n+ type semiconductor substrate 12, it can have an impurity concentration of 1×1015 [atoms/cm3] for example. Each trench 14 extends from the upper side of n− type epitaxial layer 13 toward the lower, substrate 12 side of the n− type epitaxial layer, but terminates within the n− type epitaxial layer 13. As shown in
In
Next, the termination unit will be described. As shown in
The insulating layer 18 within and capping the trenches in the cell units is extended, in the termination unit, over the n− type epitaxial layer 13 in a direction away from the last unit cell. The source electrode 21 is formed thereover, and likewise extends over the insulating layer in the direction away from the unit cells.
As one of performances required when using this semiconductor device as a switching element, avalanche resistance is required. This avalanche resistance can be improved by structural design in order to make the breakdown voltage of the termination unit higher than the breakdown voltage of the cell unit. According to the first comparative example, in order to make the breakdown voltage of termination unit higher than that of the cell unit, it is necessary to lower the concentration of n− type epitaxial layer 13, but in that case, as on-resistance increases, the performance of the semiconductor device will be lowered.
Now referring to
The primary difference in the semiconductor device in the second comparative example and the semiconductor device in first comparative example, is that the n− type epitaxial layer 13 of the cell unit and the termination unit is provided in a two-layer structure which has high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B. The low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B has the same degree of impurity concentration as n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the first comparative example, for example, it has a degree of impurity concentration of 1×1015[atoms/cm3]. Then, high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A has a large impurity concentration with regard to low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B, for example, the degree of its impurity concentration is 1×1016[atoms/cm3]. In this prior art device, the trenches 14 extend into, but do not extend through, the high impurity concentration n− layer 13A, and thus are not in direct contact with the underlying low impurity concentration n-layer 13B This difference in impurity concentration between high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B is realized by repeating the growth of epitaxial layer in different conditions on top of n+ type semiconductor substrate 12 or changing implant conditions of n− type impurities to form the epitaxial layer or the like. By using a bi-layer having different concentrations for the n− type impurity, it is possible to reduce the on-resistance of the device.
In the semiconductor device in the second comparative example, where the n− type epitaxial layer 13 is divided into two layers which are a high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and a low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B., on-resistance is reduced because a high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A extends and is positioned immediately below trenches 14. However, using this architecture for the n− type epitaxial layer, the breakdown voltage of the termination unit has a lower field plate effect than the cell unit, which is also lower than the voltage of the cell unit, and avalanche resistance of the termination unit is thereby reduced.
Referring now to
In the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment, n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the cell unit is provided in a two-layer structure including high impurity concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low impurity concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B. In the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment, in contrast to the semiconductor device of the second comparative, the two-layer structure of high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B does not extend to surround the termination unit, and this bi-layer structure terminates at the termination unit such that at least a portion of the termination trench 14F is in contact with n-low layer 13B.
Low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B, in the same way as n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the second comparative example, has in this example a degree of impurity concentration of 1×1015 [atoms/cm3]. High concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A has a higher or larger large impurity concentration as compared to that of low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B, in this example an impurity concentration on the order of 1×1016 [atoms/cm3].
In the semiconductor device in the first embodiment, n-type epitaxial layer 13 in cell unit is divided into two layers which are high impurity concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low impurity concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B. This results in reduced on-resistance because high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A is formed up to immediately below trenches 14 of the cell unit. Alternatively, high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A is not formed in the termination unit. As a result, the breakdown voltage of the termination unit is not lower than the breakdown voltage of the cell unit, and the inherent reduction in avalanche resistance in prior art devices which occurred as a result of reducing on resistance is be prevented.
It should be noted that the impurity concentration of high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A in the cell unit can be arbitrarily set in a range such as 1×1015 to 1×1017 [atoms/cm3] to reduce the on-resistance. The impurity concentration of low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B in the cell unit or n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the termination unit can be arbitrarily set in a range such as 1×1014-1×1016 [atoms/cm3], but lower than the impurity concentration in layer 13A, to improve the avalanche resistance where the on resistance has been lowered with the high concentration over low concentration n− bi-layer 13.
Referring now to
As shown in
In the semiconductor device in this embodiment, p− type diffusion layer 22 is provided on n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the termination unit. The curve of n type impurity concentration in the terminal unit and the curve of the p type impurity concentration are represented by a dashed line and the curve of effective impurity concentration is represented in a solid line. n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the termination unit can have the degree of n type impurity concentration of 1×1015 [atoms/cm3], for example, and p− type diffusion layer 22 can have a degree of p type impurity concentration of 1×1015 to 1×1016 [atoms/cm3], for example. In this case, p− type diffusion layer 22 will either become a low concentration p-type layer by offsetting the effect of the n− type impurity in the n− layer 13 from which it is formed. The p type impurity concentration of p− type diffusion layer 22 is set so as to have the effective n type impurity inside p-type diffusion layer 22 in the range of 1×1013 to 1×1015 [atoms/cm3].
In the semiconductor device in the second embodiment, n− type epitaxial layer 13 in the cell unit is divided into two layers which are high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A and low concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13B. Due to this, on-resistance is reduced in comparison to an n− layer of a single impurity concentration, because high concentration n− type epitaxial layer 13A is formed up to immediately below trenches 14 in the cell unit. However, at the termination unit, on n− type epitaxial layer 13, p− type diffusion layer 22 is formed. Therefore, the breakdown voltage of the termination unit is further improved than in the first embodiment, and avalanche resistance can be improved as compared to having an n− bi-layer extend past the termination unit 14F.
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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P2011-204122 | Sep 2011 | JP | national |