Gate Protection Layer Structure for Stable Semiconductor Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face challenges in maintaining stable electric characteristics and reliability, particularly under high temperature and high power conditions.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is designed with a channel layer, a barrier layer, a gate electrode, a gate semiconductor layer, source and drain electrodes, and a protection layer. The protection layer includes a first protection layer of silicon oxide and a second protection layer of silicon oxynitride, with a varying ratio of silicon that increases away from the upper surface of the barrier layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional protection layer structure is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but electric characteristics and reliability deteriorate under high temperature and high power conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The protection layer is divided into multiple distinct layers (first protection layer, second protection layer, third protection layer) with different materials and functions. Each layer addresses specific issues: the first layer provides baseline protection, the second layer prevents doping deactivation, and the third layer maintains hole concentration, collectively solving the reliability problem through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite protection layer structure using different materials (silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, and other insulating materials) with complementary properties. Each material is selected for its specific characteristics, and their combination creates a synergistic effect that maintains stable electric characteristics under high temperature and power conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the protection layer is placed close to the barrier layer, then device structure is more compact, but doping deactivation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second protection layer made of silicon oxynitride acts as an intermediary between the first protection layer and the gate semiconductor layer. This intermediate layer specifically prevents doping deactivation by blocking the interaction that would otherwise occur between the protection structure and the doped regions, thereby maintaining stable doping concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameter of the protection layer by introducing silicon oxynitride with specific oxygen and nitrogen ratios. This parameter change modifies the chemical and physical properties of the protection layer to reduce its harmful effect on doping concentration, preventing doping deactivation while maintaining structural compactness.
3Reliability
If silicon oxide is used as the protection layer material, then manufacturing is easier, but hole concentration decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection function is segmented across three layers, with the third protection layer specifically designed to maintain hole concentration. This layer can be made of materials optimized for this function rather than using only silicon oxide, allowing specialized functionality to be assigned to a specific segment of the protection structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials including silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, and other insulating materials with different properties. Each material contributes specific characteristics: silicon oxide provides good insulation, silicon oxynitride prevents doping deactivation, and the third layer material is selected to maintain hole concentration, creating a composite structure that achieves multiple objectives.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a channel layer; a barrier layer above the channel layer and including a material having a different energy band gap than the channel layer; a gate electrode above the barrier layer; a gate semiconductor layer between the barrier layer and the gate electrode; a source electrode and a drain electrode on respective sides of the gate electrode and on respective sides of the channel layer and the barrier layer; a field dispersion layer connected to the source electrode and on the gate electrode; and a protection layer between barrier layer and the field dispersion layer, wherein the protection layer includes a first protection layer above the barrier layer and including silicon oxide, and a second protection layer positioned above the first protection layer and including silicon oxynitride.