Semiconductor Structure With Segmented Dielectric For Schottky Diode Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Schottky diodes in semiconductor structures experience increased leakage current and power loss when operated under reverse bias, limiting their efficiency and suitability for high-voltage applications.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor structure incorporating a well region, dielectric structure, and doped layers with specific conductivity types, utilizing the RESURF concept and pinching elements to reduce leakage current and enhance breakdown voltage, allowing for a Schottky diode operation at high voltages with reduced power loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional Schottky diode is used in high-voltage applications, then the device can operate at high voltage levels, but the leakage current increases significantly causing power loss
Solution Approach 1:
The drift region is divided into multiple segments by introducing dielectric structures (oxides or nitrides) with different breakdown voltages at different depths. This segmentation allows each layer to handle a portion of the voltage stress, distributing the electrical stress more evenly and reducing peak electric fields that cause leakage current.
Solution Approach 2:
Different dielectric materials with specific breakdown voltages are placed at specific depths within the drift region. The local electrical properties are optimized by positioning low-breakdown-voltage dielectrics near the junction and high-breakdown-voltage dielectrics deeper in the drift region, creating locally optimized electric field distribution to minimize leakage.
2Productivity
If the feature size is reduced to improve integration density, then more circuits can be integrated, but the leakage current control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the electrical parameters of the drift region by introducing dielectric layers with controlled breakdown voltages. This allows the device to maintain proper leakage current characteristics even when scaled to smaller feature sizes, as the dielectric breakdown voltages can be adjusted independently of the geometric scaling.
3Device complexity
If a single FOX structure is used to isolate the diode, then the device structure is simple, but the leakage current path is not adequately blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation structure is segmented into multiple dielectric layers positioned at different depths within the drift region. This multi-layer approach creates multiple barriers to leakage current paths while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that integrates with the existing FOX isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying solely on the planar FOX isolation, the invention adds a vertical dimension to the isolation strategy by placing dielectric layers at different depths within the drift region. This three-dimensional approach to isolation effectively blocks leakage current paths without significantly increasing lateral device complexity.
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 proposed semiconductor structure effectively decreases leakage current and increases operating voltage, making it suitable for high-voltage devices by employing a RESURF concept and pinching elements, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of Schottky diodes.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing the RESURF concept and pinching elements to reduce leakage current and enhance breakdown voltage
Implementation Method 2
The second doped layer has a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a well region, a dielectric structure, a first doped layer, a second doped layer and a first doped region. The dielectric structure is on the well region. The dielectric structure has a first dielectric sidewall and a second dielectric sidewall opposite to each other. The dielectric structure includes a first dielectric portion and a second dielectric portion, between the first dielectric sidewall and the second dielectric sidewall. The first doped layer is on the well region between the first dielectric portion and the second dielectric portion. The second doped layer is on the first doped layer. The first doped region is in the well region on the first dielectric sidewall.