Edge Termination Protection in Power Semiconductor Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power semiconductor devices face challenges in protecting the edge termination region from mechanical damage, humidity, hazardous gases, and particles, particularly during high voltage applications, where the edge termination is prone to electrical field stresses and lacks effective pre-singulation protection.
Innovation Solution
A power semiconductor device design featuring a mold compound pattern portion that overlaps the edge termination region, providing efficient protection against mechanical damage, humidity, and hazardous gases by aligning its circumferential lateral surface with the semiconductor die's surface, and can be formed before singulation, enhancing long-term stability and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the edge termination region is left exposed for individual sealant application after singulation, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but the edge termination becomes vulnerable to mechanical damage, humidity, and hazardous gases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold compound pattern is formed on the semiconductor wafer before singulation, creating a protective structure in advance. This preliminary action ensures the edge termination region is protected from mechanical damage, humidity, and hazardous gases during both manufacturing and operation, eliminating the need for post-singulation protection steps
2Reliability
If sealant resin is applied after singulation, then individual device protection is achieved, but the process requires many individual steps increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The protection structure formation is merged with the wafer-level processing steps. The mold compound pattern is formed simultaneously for all devices on the wafer before singulation, combining multiple individual protection operations into a single batch process, thereby simplifying manufacturing while maintaining reliable edge termination protection
3Reliability
If the mold compound pattern is formed before singulation, then protection is provided during manufacturing, but the structure must be precisely aligned after separation
Solution Approach 1:
The mold compound pattern is designed as a continuous structure on the wafer that naturally segments into individual protection portions for each semiconductor device during singulation. The circumferential lateral surface portion of the mold compound pattern aligns with the circumferential lateral surface portion of the semiconductor die, creating a continuous lateral surface that extends along the circumference with an inclination angle between 80° and 100°, ensuring precise alignment without requiring additional post-singulation adjustment steps
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A power semiconductor device (60), which comprises a semiconductor die (10a) comprising at least one active region (AR) surrounded by an edge termination region (TR), and a method for manufacturing such power semiconductor device (60) are provided. A mold compound pattern portion (40p) is arranged on the first side (11') such that it overlaps the edge termination region (TR) in an orthogonal projection onto a plane parallel to the first side (11'). A circumferential lateral surface portion (45) of the mold compound pattern portion (40p) and a circumferential lateral surface portion (15) of the semiconductor die (10a) are both at least a part of a continuous lateral surface portion (65) of the power semiconductor device (60), wherein the continuous lateral surface portion (65) extends along a lateral circumference of the power semiconductor device (60) and has an inclination angle (α) relative to a plane parallel to the first side (11') in a range between 80° and 100°, or in a range between 85° and 95°.