# US 2020/0286994 A1 · Increasing forward biased safe operating area using different threshold voltage segments

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- Number: US 2020/0286994 A1
- Document ID: US20200286994A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/291,537
- Filed: 2019-03-04
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-04
- Assignees: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.
- Applicants: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.
- Inventors: Praveen Shenoy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200286994A1

## CPC

- H10D 62/155: {Shapes (cell layout of DMOS H10D62/127)}
- H10D 30/66: Vertical DMOS [VDMOS] FETs
- H10D 30/668: {having trench gate electrodes, e.g. UMOS transistors}
- H10D 62/127: {of cellular field-effect devices, e.g. multicellular DMOS transistors or IGBTs}
- H10D 62/145: {Emitter regions of IGBTs}
- H10D 62/153: {Impurity concentrations or distributions}
- H10D 62/154: {Dispositions}
- H10D 62/235: {of IGFETs (IGFETs having buried channels H10D30/637)}
- H10D 12/441: {Vertical IGBTs}
- H10D 12/481: {having gate structures on slanted surfaces, on vertical surfaces, or in grooves, e.g. trench gate IGBTs}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A power device includes a gate, and a segmented source adjacent to the gate, wherein the segmented source includes segments having a first threshold voltage and includes segments having a second threshold voltage different from the first threshold voltage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a gate; and
a segmented source proximate to the gate, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of first segments having a first threshold voltage and a plurality of second segments having a second threshold voltage different from the first threshold voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the source further comprises a plurality of third segments having a third threshold voltage different from the first and second threshold voltages.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the source further comprises a plurality of fourth segments having a fourth threshold voltage different from the first, second, and third threshold voltages.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the segmented source comprises a symmetrical laddered source or an asymmetrical laddered source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of continuous, segmented, or staggered stripes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the segmented source comprises a symmetrical checkered source or an asymmetrical checkered source.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, comprising at least one segmented source configured between two polysilicon gates.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, comprising at least one trenched gate configured between two segmented sources.

### Claim 9

A device comprising:
a plurality of concentric source segmentation zones extending from a center of the device to edges of the device, wherein each concentric source segmentation zone comprises:
a gate; and
a segmented source proximate to the gate, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of first segments having a first threshold voltage and a plurality of second segments having a second threshold voltage less than the first threshold voltage,
wherein an area ratio of a total area of the plurality of first segments to a total area of the plurality of second segments varies according to a distance of the concentric source segmentation zone from the center of the device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the area ratio is at a maximum within a concentric source segmentation zone closest to the center of the device, and at a minimum within a concentric source segmentation zone closest to the edges of the device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentric source segmentation zones comprises a plurality of oval or ellipse shaped concentric source segmentation zones.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentric source segmentation zones comprises a plurality of circular concentric source segmentation zones.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentric source segmentation zones comprises a plurality of rectangular concentric source segmentation zones.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the segmented source comprises a symmetrical laddered source or an asymmetrical laddered source.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of continuous, segmented, or staggered stripes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the segmented source comprises a symmetrical checkered source or an asymmetrical checkered source.

### Claim 17

A device comprising:
a plurality of cells, wherein each cell comprises:
a gate region on an upper surface of a device, wherein an inner perimeter of the gate region defines a source perimeter; and
a segmented source adjacent to the source perimeter, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of first segments having a first threshold voltage and a plurality of second segments having a second threshold voltage different from the first threshold voltage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the segmented source comprises a plurality of third segments having a third threshold voltage different from the first and second threshold voltages.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the cell comprises a square, rectangular, hexagonal, or polygonal cell.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the source perimeter comprises a square, circle, rectangle, hexagonal, or polygonal perimeter.