Stable high voltage semiconductor device structure
AssigneeIXYS Corporation
InventorNathan Zommer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power integrated circuit device with multiple guard rings and field plates overlying regions between each of the guard rings. Each of the field plates form overlying a dielectric layer also between each of the guard rings. Multiple field plates can exist between each of such guard rings. At least one field plate couples to a main junction region, and another field plate couples to a peripheral region, typically a scribe line. The present power device structure with multiple guard rings and field plates provides a resulting guard ring structure which allows for such device to achieve higher voltage applications.
Claims26
A method of forming a power device having a guard ring structure, the method comprising:
- providing a partially completed semiconductor device with an active region having a junction region, a guard ring region having a plurality of diffusion regions, a peripheral region, the guard region provided between said active region and said peripheral region;
- forming a dielectric layer overlying said partially completed semiconductor device;
- forming a field plate layer overlying said dielectric layer;
- defining said dielectric layer and field plate layer to form a plurality of openings over said guard ring region, said field plate layer including a plurality of field plates provided between two adjacent openings, said plurality of field plates being spaced apart from each other;
- and
- providing implants into said openings to define a plurality of guard rings, said plurality of guard rings including a first guard ring proximate to said junction region and a last guard ring proximate to said peripheral region.
A method of forming a guard ring structure on a semiconductor integrated circuit, said method comprising:
- providing a semiconductor substrate comprising an active region, a guard ring region, a peripheral region, a junction region, and a plurality of diffusion regions;
- forming a dielectric layer overlying an upper surface of said semiconductor substrate;
- forming a field plate layer overlying said dielectric layer, said field plate layer including a plurality of field plates;
- defining said dielectric layer and field plate layer to form a plurality of openings over said diffusion regions, said dielectric layer and field plate layer being defined to expose said junction region and said peripheral region;
- and
- providing impurities through said openings and into said semiconductor substrate to define a plurality of guard rings.
A method of forming a high voltage semiconductor power device having a guard ring structure to provide a higher breakdown voltage, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having an active region, a guard ring region, and a peripheral region, the guard ring region provided between said active and peripheral regions;
- forming a dielectric layer over said substrate;
- forming a plurality of field plates over said dielectric layer, said plurality of field plates including a field plate of first type and a field plate of second type;
- and
- forming at least one guard ring in said guard ring region, wherein said field plate of first type is coupled to said guard ring, and said field plate of second type is not coupled to said guard ring.
A method of forming a high voltage semiconductor power device having a guard ring structure to provide a higher breakdown voltage, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having an active region, a guard ring region, and a peripheral region, the guard ring region provided between said active and peripheral regions;
- forming a first dielectric layer over said substrate;
- forming a first field plate layer having a plurality of field plates over said first dielectric layer, said plurality of field plates of said first plate layer including a field plate of first type and a field plate of second type;
- forming a second dielectric layer over said first field plate layer;
- forming a second field plate layer having a plurality of field plates over said second dielectric layer, said plurality of field plates of said second plate layer including a field plate of third type and a field plate of fourth type;
- and
- forming at least one guard ring in said guard ring region, wherein said field plate of first type is coupled to said guard ring, and said field plate of second type is not coupled to said guard ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.