# US 10,872,995 B2 · Avalanche diode along with vertical PN junction and method for manufacturing the same field > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,995 B2 - Document ID: US10872995B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/368,648 - Filed: 2019-03-28 - Published: 2019-07-18 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-14 - Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited - Applicants: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited - Inventors: Laurence Stark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872995B2 ## CPC - H10F 30/225: the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes - H10D 48/345: {Bipolar transistors having ohmic electrodes on emitter-like, base-like, and collector-like regions} - H10F 30/2218: {the devices comprising active layers made of only Group IV-VI materials} - H10F 71/121: {The active layers comprising only Group IV materials} - H10F 77/14: Shape of semiconductor bodies; Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of semiconductor regions within semiconductor bodies - H10F 77/959: {for devices working in avalanche mode} - G01J 2001/4466: {Avalanche} - Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An embodiment method of manufacturing an avalanche diode includes forming a first trench in a substrate material, filling the first trench with a first material that comprises a dopant, and causing the dopant to diffuse from the first trench to form part of a PN junction. An avalanche diode array can be formed to include a number of the avalanche diodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing an avalanche diode, the method comprising: forming a first trench in a substrate material; filling the first trench with a first material that comprises a dopant; and causing the dopant to diffuse from the first trench to form a first P/N region having a first doping type; forming a second trench in the substrate material; filling the second trench with a second material comprising a second dopant that has an opposite conductivity type of the dopant; and causing the second dopant to diffuse from the second trench to form a second P/N region having a second doping type that is opposite to the first doping type, the first P/N region and the second P/N region physically contacting each other to form a vertical PN junction extending into the substrate material from a major surface of the substrate material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate material comprises a doped semiconductor, a doping type of the doped semiconductor having an opposite conductivity type of the dopant. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the causing the dopant to diffuse comprises annealing the substrate material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a conductive material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises an insulating material. ### Claim 6 A method of manufacturing an avalanche diode, the method comprising: forming a first trench extending from an upper surface of a substrate into the substrate; forming a second trench extending from the upper surface into the substrate; filling the first trench with a first material comprising a first species of a first doping type; filling the second trench with a second material comprising a second species of a second doping type; and annealing the substrate with the first material and the second material to diffuse the first species and the second species into a region of the substrate between the first trench and the second trench, wherein after the annealing, the first species and the second species are directly adjacent within the substrate along an interface extending substantially vertically with respect to the upper surface of the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first doping type is opposite of the second doping type. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first doping type is an n-type, and wherein the second doping type is a p-type. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first doping type is a p-type, and wherein the second doping type is an n-type. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the both the first material and second material comprise an oxide of silicon. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first material is a conductive material comprising tungsten or polysilicon. ### Claim 12 A method of manufacturing an avalanche diode, the method comprising: forming a first trench extending from an upper surface of a substrate into the substrate; forming a second trench extending from the upper surface into the substrate, the second trench surrounding the first trench; filling the first trench with a first material comprising a first species of a first doping type; filling the second trench with an electrically insulating second material comprising a second species of a second doping type; annealing the substrate with the first material and the electrically insulating second material, the annealing comprising diffusing the first species into the substrate to form a first doped region surrounding the first trench in a plan view, and diffusing the second species into the substrate to form a second doped region surrounding and directly contacting the first doped region in the plan view; and wherein after the annealing, the second trench surrounds and directly contacts the second doped region in the plan view. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first doping type is opposite of the second doping type. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first doping type is an n-type, and wherein the second doping type is a p-type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first doping type is a p-type, and wherein the second doping type is an n-type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the both the first material and the electrically insulating second material comprise an oxide of silicon. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first material is a conductive material comprising tungsten or polysilicon.