Semiconductor Conductive Body Geometry for Lower Leakage Current
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices suffer from high leakage current and reduced breakdown voltage due to electric field concentration at the corners of the conductive body, leading to inefficient power conversion.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device design includes a conductive body with a lower surface featuring oblique surfaces and a void structure, reducing electric field strength and stress concentration, thereby suppressing leakage current and enhancing breakdown voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional conductive body with flat surfaces is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but electric field concentration occurs at corners leading to high leakage current and reduced breakdown voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive body is designed with rounded corners and curved surfaces instead of sharp edges, eliminating electric field concentration points. The lower surface includes first and second oblique surfaces that are curved, and the third surface connects these oblique surfaces in a curved manner, ensuring uniform electric field distribution throughout the structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer thickness is varied locally to compensate for curvature effects. The insulating layer is thicker at regions corresponding to the rounded corners and thinner at flat regions, creating a non-uniform thickness profile that maintains uniform electric field strength across the entire lower surface of the conductive body.
2Reliability
If the insulating layer thickness is increased uniformly, then electric field strength is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is formed with non-uniform thickness where the thickness varies according to the underlying conductive body geometry. Thicker regions are positioned at rounded corners and thinner regions at flat surfaces, optimizing electric field distribution without requiring uniform thickness increase throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer is formed conformally on the curved surfaces of the conductive body before final processing steps. This preliminary formation of the insulating layer with appropriate thickness distribution simplifies subsequent manufacturing steps by establishing the optimal electric field management structure early in the fabrication process.
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
The design effectively reduces leakage current and increases breakdown voltage, improving the efficiency and reliability of power conversion.
Implementation Method 1
electric field concentration at the corners of the conductive body
Implementation Method 2
stress concentration
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first and second electrodes, first to third semiconductor regions, a conductive body, and a gate electrode. The first semiconductor region is located on the first electrode and electrically connected with the first electrode. The second semiconductor region is located on the first semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is located on a portion of the second semiconductor region. The conductive body is located in the first semiconductor region with an insulating part interposed. A lower surface of the conductive body includes first and second surfaces. The gate electrode is located in the insulating part. The gate electrode faces the second semiconductor region via a gate insulating layer. The second electrode is located on the second and third semiconductor regions. The second electrode is electrically connected with the second and third semiconductor regions.