A field effect transistor, a bipolar transistor, a PIN diode, a Schottky rectifier or other high voltage semiconductor device comprise a semiconductor body having a depletion layer formed throughout a portion in at least a high voltage mode of operation of the device, such as, by reverse biasing a rectifying junction. The known use of a single high-resistivity body portion of one conductivity type to carry both the high voltage and to conduct current results in a series resistivity increasing approximately in proportion with the square of the breakdown voltage. This square-law relationship is avoided by the present invention in which a depleted body portion comprising an interleaved structure of first and second regions of alternating conductivity types carries the high voltage which occurs across the depleted body portion. The thickness and doping concentration of each of these first and second regions are such that when depleted the space charge per unit area formed in each of these regions is balanced at least to the extent that an electric field resulting from any imbalance is less than the critical field strength at which avalanche breakdown would occur in the body portion. The first regions in at least one mode of operation of the device provide electrically parallel current paths extending through the body portion.

High voltage semiconductor device

This silicon-carbide semiconductor device (101) has a silicon-carbide substrate (10), a main electrode (52), a first barrier layer (70a), and a wiring layer (60). The main electrode (52) is provided directly on top of the silicon-carbide substrate (10). The first barrier layer (70a) is provided on top of the main electrode (52) and is made from a conductive material that does not contain aluminum. The wiring layer (60) is provided on top of the first barrier layer (70a), is isolated from the main electrode (52) by the first barrier layer (70a), and is made from a material that does contain aluminum.

Silicon carbide semiconductor device

The semiconductor component, such as a Schottky diode with a low leakage current, has a metal-semiconductor junction between a first metal electrode and the semiconductor. The semiconductor, which is of a first conductivity type, has a defined drift path and a plurality of supplementary zones of a second conductivity type extending from the semiconductor surface into the drift path. A number of foreign atoms in the supplementary zones is substantially equal to a number of foreign atoms in intermediate zones surrounding the supplementary zones and the number of foreign atoms does not exceed a number corresponding to a breakdown charge of the semiconductor.

Semiconductor component with metal-semiconductor junction with low reverse current

Semiconductor devices includes a thin epitaxial layer (nanotube) formed on sidewalls of mesas formed in a semiconductor layer. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first epitaxial layer and a second epitaxial layer formed on mesas of the semiconductor layer. The thicknesses and doping concentrations of the first and second epitaxial layers and the mesa are selected to achieve charge balance in operation. In another embodiment, the semiconductor body is lightly doped and the thicknesses and doping concentrations of the first and second epitaxial layers are selected to achieve charge balance in operation.

Nanotube semiconductor devices

This invention discloses a semiconductor power device that includes an active cell area having a plurality of power transistor cells Each of said power transistor cells has a planar Schottky diode that includes a Schottky junction barrier metal covering areas above gaps between separated body regions between two adjacent power transistor cells The separated body regions further provide a function of adjusting a leakage current of said Schottky diode in each of said power transistor cells Each of the planar Schottky diodes further includes a Shannon implant region disposed in a gap between the separated body regions of two adjacent power transistor cells for further adjusting a leakage current of said Schottky diode Each of the power transistor cells further includes heavy body doped regions in the separated body regions next to source regions surrounding said Schottky diode forming a junction barrier Schottky (JBS) pocket region

Enhancing schottky breakdown voltage (bv) without affecting an integrated mosfet-schottky device layout

An improved high voltage Schottky barrier diode includes a semiconductor layer having two adjacent sublayers of the same type conductivity but different doping concentrations. A plurality of isolated discrete regions of a second type conductivity opposite to that of the first are provided along the boundary region between the sublayers and beneath the Schottky junction. The invention results in an improved high voltage Schottky diode in which the reverse characteristics are substantially enhanced.

John M. Shannon

Papers

High voltage Schottky barrier diode

Halbleiteranordnung mit einem gleichrichtenden metall-halbleiter- uebergang