# US 2016/0365437 A1 · Electric field management for a group iii-nitride semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0365437 A1 - Document ID: US20160365437A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/248,711 - Filed: 2016-08-26 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-21 - Assignees: Cambridge Electronics, Inc. - Applicants: Cambridge Electronics, Inc. - Inventors: Bin Lu; Tomas Palacios; Ling Xia; Mohamed Azize - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160365437A1 ## CPC - H10D 30/4755: {having wide bandgap charge-carrier supplying layers, e.g. modulation doped HEMTs such as n-AlGaAs/GaAs HEMTs} - H10D 62/102: {Constructional design considerations for preventing surface leakage or controlling electric field concentration} - H10D 62/824: comprising only Group III-V materials heterojunctions, e.g. GaN/AlGaN heterojunctions - H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN} - H10D 62/854: further characterised by the dopants - H10D 64/111: {Field plates} - H10D 64/115: {Resistive field plates, e.g. semi-insulating field plates} - H10D 64/251: {Source or drain electrodes for field-effect devices} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first active layer, a second active layer, at least first and second electrodes, an E-field management layer, and at least one injection electrode. The first active layer is disposed over the substrate. The second active layer is disposed on the first active layer such that a laterally extending conductive channel arises which extends in a lateral direction. The laterally extending conductive channel is located between the first active layer and the second active layer. The first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first active layer. The E-field management layer, which reduces the electric-field gradients arising in the first and second active layers, is disposed over the second active layer. The injection electrode is electrically connected to the E-field management layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate; a first active layer disposed over the substrate; a second active layer disposed on the first active layer such that a laterally extending conductive channel arises which extends in a lateral direction, the laterally extending conductive channel being located between the first active layer and the second active layer; first and second electrodes electrically connected to the first active layer; and an E-field management layer for reducing electric-field gradients arising in the first and second active layers, the E-field management layer being disposed over the second active layer, the E-field management layer having a resistivity greater than 1 kΩ×cm; and an injection electrode electrically connected to the E-field management layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the E-field management layer comprises an intrinsic material or a material that includes therein impurities and/or defects that give rise to the resistivity, a concentration of the impurities being uniform in a lateral direction between the injection electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the E-field management layer comprises an intrinsic material or a material that includes therein impurities and/or defects that give rise to the resistivity, a concentration of the impurities being non-uniform in a lateral direction between the injection electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the E-field management layer comprises an intrinsic material or a material that includes therein impurities and/or defects that give rise to the resistivity, a concentration of the impurities being uniform in a vertical direction through the E-field management layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the E-field management layer comprises an intrinsic material or a material that includes therein impurities and/or defects that give rise to the resistivity, a concentration of the impurities being non-uniform in a vertical direction through the E-field management layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising an etch stop layer disposed between the second active layer and the E-field management layer, the etch stop layer being etch resistant to etching of the E-field management layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a carrier doping layer disposed between the second active layer and the E-field management layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising a carrier doping layer disposed on the etch stop layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are source and drain electrodes, respectively, and further comprising a gate electrode disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the injection electrode is disposed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the gate electrode being disposed in a recess extending into the E-field management layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are source and drain electrodes, respectively, and further comprising a gate electrode disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the injection electrode is disposed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the injection electrode and the source electrode or the gate electrode being configured such that they are maintained at a common electrical potential. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are source and drain electrodes, respectively, and further comprising a gate electrode disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the injection electrode is disposed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the injection electrode and the source electrode or the gate electrode being configured such that they are maintained at different electrical potentials. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are source and drain electrodes, respectively, and further comprising a gate electrode disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the injection electrode is disposed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the drain electrode and the E-field management layer being electrically isolated from one another ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are an anode and a cathode, respectively, wherein the injection electrode is disposed between the anode and the cathode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, where the at least one injection electrode comprises a plurality of injection electrodes electrically connected to the E-field management layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second active layer comprises a plurality of sublayers, at least one of the plurality of sublayers having a wider band gap than the first active layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the E-field management layer includes impurities selected from the group consisting of carbon, iron, magnesium and zinc.