Semiconductor device and electric power converter, drive inverter, general-purpose inverter and super-power high-frequency communication equipment using the semiconductor device

Abstract

In a semiconductor device that uses a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate having p type, n type impurity semiconductor regions formed by ion implantation, the electrical characteristics of the end semiconductor device can be improved by decreasing the roughness of the silicon carbide semiconductor substrate surface. The semiconductor device of this invention is a Schottky barrier diode or a p-n type diode comprising at least one of a p type semiconductor region and n type semiconductor region selectively formed in a silicon carbide semiconductor region having an outermost surface layer surface that is a (000-1) surface or a surface inclined at an angle to the (000-1) surface, and a metal electrode formed on the outermost surface layer surface, that controls a direction in which electric current flows in a direction perpendicular to the outermost surface layer surface from application of a voltage to the metal electrode.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT AND APPLICATION[0001]This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10 / 536,192 filed Dec. 16, 2005 which is a National Stage of PCT Application No. PCT / JP03 / 14982 filed Nov. 25, 2003. The entire contents of application Ser. No. 10 / 536,192 are incorporated herein by reference. PCT / JP03 / 14982 is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-340911, filed Nov. 25, 2002.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates to a semiconductor device formed on a silicon carbide substrate having a prescribed substrate crystalline surface orientation, and to an electric power converter, drive inverter, general-purpose inverter and super-power high-frequency communication equipment using the semiconductor device.BACKGROUND ART[0003]With respect to a semiconductor device using silicon carbide on the uppermost layer of a semiconductor substrate and to a method of manufacturing the same, as described in the fo...

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Benefits of technology

[0010]Thus, in each of the above prior-art references, a semiconductor device having a p type or n type region formed on a silicon carbide substrate by impurity ion implantation, is formed on the (0001) face. However, a silicon carbide substrate has various surface orientations, and by contriving the surface orientation and the impurity heat treatment method in that surface orientation, it is possible to suppress the roughness on the silicon carbide substrate surface following the impurity activation heat treatment, improving the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device.

[0013]This invention is proposed in view of the above, and has as its object, in a semiconductor device that uses a silicon carbide substrate having p type, n type semiconductor impurity regions formed by ion implantation, to improve the ultimate electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device by reducing surface roughness of the silicon carbide substrate.

Problems solved by technology

In this case, when forming a p type or n type region by ion implantation in the (0001) face, ion implantation of a p type or n type impurity is followed by heat treatment at a high temperature of 1500° C. or above for activation, so silicon evaporates from the silicon carbide surface, leading to increased roughness of the silicon carbide surface.

This results in reduced channel mobility of metal-insulation film-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) or metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs), and increased leak current in Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and junction type field-effect transistors (JFETs) caused by larger crystal defects in the ion implantation region, problems which make practical use impossible.

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