# US 2019/0172916 A1 · Power Semiconductor Device Having a Trench with Control and Field Electrode Structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0172916 A1 - Document ID: US20190172916A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/252,189 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-19 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Inventors: Thomas Feil; Michael Hutzler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172916A1 ## CPC - H10D 64/117: {Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates or buried field plates} - H10D 12/481: {having gate structures on slanted surfaces, on vertical surfaces, or in grooves, e.g. trench gate IGBTs} - H10D 30/025: {of vertical IGFETs (of VDMOS H10D30/0291; of vertical TFTs H10D30/0318)} - H10D 30/0297: {using recessing of the gate electrodes, e.g. to form trench gate electrodes} - H10D 30/63: Vertical IGFETs (H10D30/66 {, H10D30/6728, H10D30/689, H10D30/693} take precedence) - H10D 30/668: {having trench gate electrodes, e.g. UMOS transistors} - H10D 64/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10D 64/512: {Disposition of the gate electrodes, e.g. buried gates} - H10D 64/518: {characterised by their lengths or sectional shapes} - H10D 12/461: {having non-planar surfaces, e.g. having trenches, recesses or pillars in the surfaces of the emitter, base or collector regions} - H10D 64/2527: {for vertical devices wherein the source or drain electrodes are recessed in semiconductor bodies} - H10D 64/256: {for lateral devices wherein the source or drain electrodes are recessed in semiconductor bodies (source or drain electrodes of TFTs H10D30/673)} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract According to an embodiment of a power semiconductor device, the device includes a semiconductor body coupled to a first load terminal and a second load terminal and configured to conduct a load current between the first load terminal and the second load terminal. A trench extends into the semiconductor body along an extension direction and includes an insulator. A first electrode structure included in the trench is configured to control the load current. A second electrode structure included in the trench is arranged separately and electrically insulated from the first electrode structure. The first electrode structure and the second electrode structure are spatially displaced from each other along the extension direction such that they do not have a common extension range along the extension direction. Each of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure is made of a metal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body coupled to a first load terminal and a second load terminal and configured to conduct a load current between the first load terminal and the second load terminal; a trench extending into the semiconductor body along an extension direction and comprising an insulator; a first electrode structure included in the trench and configured to control the load current; and a second electrode structure included in the trench and arranged separately and electrically insulated from the first electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure are spatially displaced from each other along the extension direction such that they do not have a common extension range along the extension direction, wherein each of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure comprises a metal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode structure extends further along the extension direction than the first electrode structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the insulator forms trench sidewalls and a trench bottom, and wherein the first electrode structure comprises at least two electrodes, a first one of the at least two electrodes being arranged at one of the trench sidewalls and a second one of the at least two electrodes being arranged at the other one of the trench sidewalls. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The power semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein a distance along a first lateral direction between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than a total extension of the second electrode structure in the first lateral direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The power semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein in a vertical cross-section, neither the first electrode nor the second electrode has a common extension range with the second electrode structure along the first lateral direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The power semiconductor device of claim 3, further comprising a central contact pad arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and in contact with each of the first and the second electrodes, wherein the central contact pad extends into the trench. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a lateral contact pad arranged entirely external of the trench and in contact with the first electrode structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode structure is electrically connected to the first load terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the insulator has a step profile along the extension direction, wherein the step profile defines an upper part of the trench and a lower part of the trench, and wherein the first electrode structure is arranged in the upper part of the trench and the second electrode structure is arranged in the lower part of the trench. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode structure is a control electrode structure disposed along sidewalls of the trench in an upper part of the trench, wherein the second electrode structure is a field electrode structure spaced inward from and below the control electrode structure in a lower part of the trench, and wherein the control electrode structure and the field electrode structure are electrically connected to different potentials. ### Claim 11 A power semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body including a trench that extends into the semiconductor body along an extension direction and comprising an insulator; and a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure formed from a monolithic electrode zone within the trench, wherein the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure of the monolithic electrode zone are arranged separately and electrically insulated from each other within the trench, wherein the first electrode structure is arranged in an upper part of the trench and the second electrode structure is arranged in a lower part of the trench, wherein the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure are vertically misaligned in the trench. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the second electrode structure extends further along the extension direction than the first electrode structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The power semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the insulator forms trench sidewalls and a trench bottom, and wherein the first electrode structure comprises at least two electrodes, a first one of the at least two electrodes being arranged at one of the trench sidewalls and a second one of the at least two electrodes being arranged at the other one of the trench sidewalls. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The power semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein a distance along a first lateral direction between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than a total extension of the second electrode structure in the first lateral direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The power semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein in a vertical cross-section, neither the first electrode nor the second electrode has a common extension range with the second electrode structure along the first lateral direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The power semiconductor device of claim 13, further comprising a central contact pad arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and in contact with each of the first and the second electrodes, wherein the central contact pad extends into the trench. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The power semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising a lateral contact pad arranged entirely external of the trench and in contact with the first electrode structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The power semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the insulator has a step profile along the extension direction, and wherein the step profile defines the upper part of the trench and the lower part of the trench. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The power semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein each of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure comprises a metal. ### Claim 20 A power semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body coupled to a first load terminal and a second load terminal and configured to conduct a load current between the first load terminal and the second load terminal; a trench extending into the semiconductor body along an extension direction and comprising an insulator; a control electrode structure included in the trench and configured to control the load current; and a field electrode structure included in the trench and arranged separately and electrically insulated from the first electrode structure, wherein the control electrode structure is disposed along sidewalls of the trench in an upper part of the trench, wherein the field electrode structure is spaced inward from and below the control electrode structure in a lower part of the trench, wherein the control electrode structure and the field electrode structure are electrically connected to different potentials.