Rounded Source Field Plate for Compound Semiconductor Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compound semiconductor devices are prone to breakage and deterioration when exposed to high energy particles due to the formation of conduction paths and increased hole concentration under high electric fields, and existing methods to relax these fields are either ineffective or complicated to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A compound semiconductor device with a substrate, semiconductor layer, gate, source, and drain electrodes, and passivation films, where the end portion of the source field plate on the drain electrode side is curved to be rounded, reducing electric field concentration and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the end portion of the source field plate is bent upward at a certain angle to relax the electric field, then the device is less prone to breakage under high energy particle exposure, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and the number of manufacturing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end portion of the source field plate is formed with a curved (rounded) shape instead of a sharp angle or bent configuration. This curvature eliminates the protruding portion that causes electric field concentration while providing sufficient electric field relaxation. The rounded shape is achieved through a single manufacturing step (spin coating of organic solvent), avoiding the need for additional bending steps or complex processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameter of the source field plate end portion from a bent configuration (with specific angle) to a curved configuration (with radius of curvature). This parameter change optimizes the electric field distribution by eliminating sharp corners while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single-step process.
2Reliability
If the end portion of the source field plate is bent upward to relax the electric field, then device reliability improves, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The curved end portion is formed by spin coating an organic solvent, which is a single, straightforward manufacturing step. This eliminates the need for multiple steps required to create bent portions (such as additional deposition, etching, or mechanical bending operations), thereby reducing manufacturing time and cost while achieving the same or better electric field relaxation effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function (electric field relaxation) from the complex bent configuration and achieves it through a simple curved shape formed by spin coating. This simplifies the manufacturing process by removing unnecessary complex steps while retaining the core functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If a sharp-angled end portion is used for the source field plate, then manufacturing is simpler, but electric field concentration occurs causing device breakage under high energy particle exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The curved end portion eliminates the sharp angle that causes electric field concentration. The curvature distributes the electric field lines more evenly, preventing the formation of high-field regions that would lead to device breakdown. This curved shape is achieved through spin coating, which is a simple and effective manufacturing method.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies a localized curved shape specifically at the end portion of the source field plate where electric field concentration occurs. This local modification targets the critical area for electric field relaxation without changing the overall structure or requiring complex global redesign, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor layer (2,3) is provided on a substrate (1). A gate electrode (4), a source electrode (5) and a drain electrode (6) are provided on the semiconductor layer (3). A first passivation film (7) covers the gate electrode (4) and the semiconductor layer (3). A source field plate (9) is provided on the first passivation film (7), and extends from the source electrode (5) to a space between the gate electrode (4) and the drain electrode (6). A second passivation film (10) covers the first passivation film (7) and the source field plate (9). An end portion on the drain electrode (6) side of the source field plate (9) is curved to be rounded.