Semiconductor Device Ineffective Region Yield
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The development of semiconductor devices for power electronics is hindered by large-area semiconductor chips that often contain defects, leading to reduced yield, with existing technologies failing to effectively address process-related defects such as sticking particles and pattern defects in addition to crystalline defects.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device and manufacturing method that involves a semiconductor substrate with well regions and a drift region, where a gate insulating layer exposes source regions both inside and outside an ineffective region, and a gate electrode is only disposed outside this region, with an insulating film covering the gate electrode and part of the gate insulating layer inside the ineffective region, and a source wire is formed to contact the exposed source regions through source contact holes both inside and outside the ineffective region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If large-area semiconductor chips are used for power electronics applications, then the current handling capability is improved, but the yield is reduced due to the presence of defects
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor chip surface is divided into effective regions and ineffective regions. The ineffective regions contain defects but are excluded from active device operation, while effective regions maintain full functionality. This segmentation allows large-area chips to be used without allowing defects to degrade overall yield.
Solution Approach 2:
Defective areas are extracted and isolated as ineffective regions through the formation of gate insulating layers and insulating films that prevent these regions from participating in device operation. This extraction removes the harmful effect of defects while preserving the functional areas.
2Reliability
If traditional defect prevention technologies are applied, then some defects are prevented, but process-related defects such as sticking particles and pattern defects are not effectively addressed
Solution Approach 1:
Gate insulating layers and insulating films are formed in advance during the manufacturing process to define ineffective regions. This preliminary action ensures that even process-related defects occurring later will not affect device functionality, as the protective structure is already in place.
Solution Approach 2:
Areas containing process-related defects (sticking particles, pattern defects) are converted into ineffective regions that are electrically isolated. The presence of these defects no longer harms device performance because they are confined to regions that do not participate in active operation.
3Device complexity
If the gate electrode is disposed over the entire gate insulating layer, then the device structure is simplified, but defects in any region can cause yield reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode structure is made non-uniform by excluding it from ineffective regions while maintaining it in effective regions. This local differentiation ensures that defects in ineffective regions cannot cause yield reduction, while the simplified structure is maintained in functional areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Semiconductor layer is formed on semiconductor substrate. Semiconductor layer has a plurality of well regions in a surface remote from semiconductor substrate. Semiconductor layer includes drift region in addition to the plurality of well regions. The plurality of well regions each include body region, source region, and contact region. Source region is in contact with body region. Contact region is in contact with both body region and source region. Body region, source region, and source wire are at an identical potential because of contact region. Semiconductor layer includes ineffective region R at the surface remote from semiconductor substrate.