Semiconductor device having vertical charge-compensated structure and sub-surface connecting layer and method

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a semiconductor region having a major surface;
• a vertical charge compensation structure formed in the semiconductor region extending from the major surface, wherein the vertical charge compensation structure includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity adjoining the semiconductor region, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type adjoining the first semiconductor layer, and wherein the first semiconductor layer is a conduction layer and wherein the second semiconductor layer is a compensation layer;
• a trench control structure formed in the semiconductor region laterally spaced apart from the vertical charge compensation structure;
• a body region adjoining and between the trench control and the vertical charge compensation structures, wherein the body region has the second conductivity type;
• a source region overlying a portion of the body region and adjoining the trench control structure;
• a doped region of the first conductivity underlying the body region and configured to provide a sub-surface current path between the source region and the conduction layer;
• and
• a conductive layer overlying the major surface and electrically coupled to the source region, the body region and the compensation layer.

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing a body of semiconductor material having a major surface;
• forming a vertical charge compensated structure in the body of semiconductor material extending from the major surface, wherein the vertical charge compensated structure includes at least one conduction layer of a first conductivity type and at least one compensation layer of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type;
• forming a trench control structure in the body of semiconductor material;
• forming a doped region of the first conductivity type in the body of semiconductor material;
• forming a body region of the second conductivity type in the body of semiconductor material above the doped region;
• and
• forming a source region of the first conductivity type formed adjacent the body region, wherein the source region is interposed between the trench control structure and the vertical charge compensated structure, and wherein the trench control structure is configured to form a channel region within the body region, and wherein the doped region is configured to electrically connect a drain end of the channel region to the conduction layer.