# US 2022/0045221 A1 · Diode Including a Plurality of Trenches > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0045221 A1 - Document ID: US20220045221A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/389,479 - Filed: 2021-07-30 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-05 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Inventors: Christian Philipp Sandow; Matteo Dainese; Viktoryia Lapidus - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045221A1 ## CPC - H10D 8/422: {PN diodes having the PN junctions in mesas} - H10D 12/481: {having gate structures on slanted surfaces, on vertical surfaces, or in grooves, e.g. trench gate IGBTs} - H10D 30/668: {having trench gate electrodes, e.g. UMOS transistors} - H10D 64/117: {Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates or buried field plates} - H10D 84/811: {Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A diode is proposed. The diode includes a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface. The diode further includes an anode region and a cathode region. The anode region is arranged between the first main surface and the cathode region. An anode pad area is electrically connected to the anode region. The diode further includes a plurality of trenches extending into the semiconductor body from the first main surface. A first group of the plurality of trenches includes a first trench electrode. A second group of the plurality of trenches includes a second trench electrode. The first trench electrode is electrically coupled to the anode pad area via an anode wiring line and the second trench electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A diode, comprising: a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; an anode region and a cathode region, wherein the anode region is arranged between the first main surface and the cathode region; an anode pad area electrically connected to the anode region; and a plurality of trenches extending into the semiconductor body from the first main surface, wherein a first group of the plurality of trenches includes a first trench electrode and a second group of the plurality of trenches includes a second trench electrode, wherein the first trench electrode is electrically coupled to the anode pad area via an anode wiring line and the second trench electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The diode of claim 1, wherein the anode wiring line and the anode pad area are separate parts of a patterned wiring layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The diode of claim 1, wherein a ratio between a number of trenches in the first group and a number of trenches in the second group ranges from 100 to 100,000. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The diode of claim 1, wherein the anode wiring line laterally surrounds at least a quarter of a circumference of the anode pad area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The diode of claim 1, wherein the second trench electrodes are connected in parallel between the anode wiring line and the anode pad area, and wherein a total resistance of the second group of trench electrodes connected in parallel multiplied by the total capacitance of the first group of trench electrodes is in a range between 100 Ohm×nF and 100 Ohm×μF. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The diode of claim 1, wherein a conductance per unit length of the second trench electrode along a longitudinal direction of the plurality of trenches is smaller than a conductance per unit length of the first trench electrode along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of trenches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A semiconductor device, comprising: the diode of claim 1; and a reverse conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor, RC-IGBT, wherein the diode and the RC-IGBT are electrically connected in parallel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the anode pad area of the diode and a source contact area of the RC-IGBT merge with one another. ### Claim 9 A diode, comprising: a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; an anode region and a cathode region, wherein the anode region is arranged between the first main surface and the cathode region; an anode pad area electrically connected to the anode region; and a plurality of trenches extending into semiconductor body from the first main surface, wherein a first group of the plurality of trenches includes a first trench electrode, wherein the first trench electrode is subdivided into at least a first part and a second part, wherein a conductance per unit length of the first part along a longitudinal direction of the first trench electrode is by at least a factor of 1000 smaller than a conductance per unit length of the second part along the longitudinal direction of the first trench electrode, wherein the second part is electrically coupled to the anode pad area via the first part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A semiconductor device, comprising: the diode of claim 9; and a reverse conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor, RC-IGBT, wherein the diode and the RC-IGBT are electrically connected in parallel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the anode pad area of the diode and a source contact area of the RC-IGBT merge with one another. ### Claim 12 A diode, comprising: a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; an anode region and a cathode region, wherein the anode region is arranged between the first main surface and the cathode region; an anode pad area electrically connected to the anode region; and a plurality of trenches extending into semiconductor body from the first main surface, wherein a first group of the plurality of trenches includes a first trench electrode, wherein the first trench electrode is electrically coupled to the anode pad area via an anode wiring line and a resistor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The diode of claim 12, wherein the resistor is arranged on a substrate different from the semiconductor body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The diode of claim 13, wherein the anode wiring line merges into an auxiliary anode pad area over the semiconductor body, and a first bond wire electrically connects the auxiliary anode pad area and a first end of the resistor on the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The diode of claim 12, wherein the resistor is arranged in a wiring area over the first main surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The diode of claim 12, wherein a third group of the plurality of trenches includes a third trench electrode, and wherein the third trench electrode is electrically connected to the anode pad area via a contact arranged in a part of the first main surface where the third trench electrode and the anode pad area overlap one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The diode of claim 12, wherein the plurality of trenches extends into the anode region, or extends through the anode region and into the cathode region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A semiconductor device, comprising: the diode of claim 12; and a reverse conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor, RC-IGBT, wherein the diode and the RC-IGBT are electrically connected in parallel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The semiconductor device of claim 18, wherein the anode pad area of the diode and a source contact area of the RC-IGBT merge with one another. ### Claim 20 A diode, comprising: a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; an anode region and a cathode region, wherein the anode region is arranged between the first main surface and the cathode region; an anode pad area electrically connected to the anode region; and a plurality of trenches extending into the semiconductor body from the first main surface, wherein a first group of the plurality of trenches includes a first trench electrode, wherein at least one resistive element is coupled in series between the first trench electrode of each trench of the plurality of trenches and the anode pad area, wherein the diode is configured to conduct current in an on-state in a forward direction and to block current in an off-state, wherein the diode is configured to switch from the off-state to the on-state during a switching time, wherein the at least one resistive element is configured such that a potential of each first trench electrode of the plurality of trenches deviates from a potential of the anode pad area during the switching time by at least 2V for at least 30% of the switching time. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The diode of claim 20, wherein the at least one resistive element is configured such that the potential of each first trench electrode of the plurality of trenches deviates from the potential of the anode pad area during the switching by not more than 15 V for at least 30% of the switching time. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The diode of claim 20, wherein the at least one resistive element is configured such that the potential of each first trench electrode of the plurality of trenches deviates from the potential of the anode pad area after a time interval of 5 μs from switching by not more than 200 mV. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) A semiconductor device, comprising: the diode of claim 20; and a reverse conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor, RC-IGBT, wherein the diode and the RC-IGBT are electrically connected in parallel. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The semiconductor device of claim 23, wherein the anode pad area of the diode and a source contact area of the RC-IGBT merge with one another.