Field Plate Insulating Structure for Dielectric Breakdown Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semiconductor devices face challenges in maintaining high reliability and preventing dielectric breakdown as wafer sizes increase and device miniaturization advances, particularly due to the difficulty in forming thick buried insulating films and the resulting electric field intensity.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a field electrode located over a first interlayer insulating film, with an additional insulating film between the semiconductor region and the field electrode, which helps to alleviate electric field intensity and prevent dielectric breakdown, while also allowing for a thinner insulating film to be used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wafer size is increased and device miniaturization is advanced, then productivity and integration density are improved, but dielectric breakdown risk increases due to difficulty in forming thick buried insulating films
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single thick buried insulating film into multiple thinner insulating films stacked in sequence. This segmentation allows the structure to achieve the required total thickness for electrical isolation while avoiding the manufacturing difficulties of forming a single thick film, thus resolving the contradiction between integration density and dielectric breakdown resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-layer horizontal structure to a multi-layer vertical structure by stacking insulating films in the thickness direction. This dimensional change enables achieving adequate insulation thickness without increasing lateral dimensions, maintaining miniaturization while preventing dielectric breakdown.
2Reliability
If thick buried insulating films are formed to prevent dielectric breakdown, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases with advanced miniaturization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thick insulating film requirement into multiple thinner films that can be manufactured using standard deposition processes. Each thin film layer is easier to form with controlled thickness and uniformity, avoiding the manufacturing challenges of single thick film formation while achieving equivalent or superior electrical isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent forms the multiple insulating films in advance during the manufacturing process sequence, preparing the complete insulation structure before final device assembly. This preliminary formation of stacked films ensures reliable electrical isolation is built into the structure early, simplifying subsequent manufacturing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses dielectric breakdown and maintains high reliability even with increased wafer sizes and miniaturization, allowing for efficient semiconductor device performance.
Implementation Method 1
which helps to alleviate electric field intensity and prevent dielectric breakdown
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor layer that is located over the semiconductor substrate and includes a drain region, a source region, a drift region, and a channel region; an insulating film that is in contact with the semiconductor layer and is located over the channel region; a first interlayer insulating film that covers the insulating film; and a field plate that is located over the first interlayer insulating film, overlaps the drift region, and is electrically connected to the drain region.