A transistor arrangement includes: a layer stack with first and second semiconductor layers of complementary first and second doping types; a first source region of a first transistor device adjoining the first semiconductor layers; a first drain region of the first transistor device adjoining the second semiconductor layers and spaced apart from the first source region; gate regions of the first transistor device, each gate region adjoining at least one second semiconductor layer, being arranged between the first source region and the first drain region, and being spaced apart from the first source region and the first drain region; a third semiconductor layer adjoining the layer stack and each of the first source region, first drain region, and each gate region; and active regions of a second transistor device integrated in the third semiconductor layer in a second region spaced apart from a first region of the third semiconductor layer.

According to one embodiment, the gate insulating film is provided on a semiconductor region including the body region and the drift region between the source region and the drain region. The gate insulating film includes a first part and a second part. The first part is provided on the source region side. The second part is provided on the drain region side and thicker than the first part. The insulating portion is provided in the semiconductor region under a boundary between the first part and the second part of the gate insulating film.

In a fabrication method of a silicon carbide semiconductor element including a drift layer playing a role of retaining a high withstand voltage on a front side of a semiconductor substrate of silicon carbide and including an ohmic electrode on a backside, dicing is added to form at least one dicing line in an element active region on a surface of the semiconductor substrate on a side opposite of the drift layer before forming the ohmic electrode on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. Thus, a silicon carbide semiconductor element and fabrication method thereof is provided such that even if the semiconductor substrate is made thinner to reduce the on-resistance, the strength of the substrate can be maintained and cracking of the wafer during wafer processing can be reduced.

A p-type base region, n.sup.+-type source region, p.sup.+-type contact region, and n-type JFET region are formed on a front surface side of a silicon carbide base by ion implantation. The front surface of the silicon carbide base is thermally oxidized, forming a thermal oxide film. Activation annealing at a high temperature of 1500 degrees C. or higher is performed with the front surface of the silicon carbide base being covered by the thermal oxide film. The activation annealing is performed in a gas atmosphere that includes oxygen at a partial pressure from 0.01 atm to 1 atm and therefore, the thermal oxide film thickness may be maintained or increased without a decrease thereof. The thermal oxide film is used as a gate insulating film and thereafter, a poly-silicon layer that is to become a gate electrode is deposited on the thermal oxide film, forming a MOS gate structure.

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a drift layer over the substrate; a base region over the drift layer; multiple source regions over an upper layer portion of the base region; a contact region over the upper layer portion of the base region between opposing source regions; multiple trenches from a surface of each source region to a depth deeper than the base region; a gate electrode on a gate insulating film in each trench; a source electrode electrically connected to the source regions and the contact region; a drain electrode over a rear surface of the substrate; and multiple electric field relaxation layers in the drift layer between adjacent trenches. Each electric field relaxation layer includes: a first region at a position deeper than the trenches; and a second region from a surface of the drift layer to the first region.

A semiconductor device includes transistor cells in a semiconductor portion, wherein the transistor cells are electrically connected to a gate metallization, a source electrode and a drain electrode. In one example, the semiconductor device further includes a doped region in the semiconductor portion. The doped region is electrically connected to the source electrode. A resistance of the doped region has a negative temperature coefficient. An interlayer dielectric separates the gate metallization from the doped region. A drain structure in the semiconductor portion electrically connects the transistor cells with the drain electrode and forms a pn junction with the doped region.

A lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect (LDMOS) transistor includes a silicon semiconductor structure including (a) a base layer, (b) a p-type reduced surface field effect (RESURF) layer disposed over the base layer in a thickness direction, (c) a p-body disposed over the p-type RESURF layer in the thickness direction, (d) a source p+ region and a source n+ region each disposed in the p-body, (e) a high-voltage n-type laterally-diffused drain (HVNLDD) disposed adjacent to the p-body in a lateral direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, the HVNLDD contacting the p-type RESURF layer, and (f) a drain n+ region disposed in the HVNLDD. The LDMOS transistor further includes (a) a first dielectric layer disposed on the silicon semiconductor structure in the thickness direction over at least part of the p-body and the HVNLDD and (b) a first gate conductor disposed on the first dielectric layer in the thickness direction.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type on the first semiconductor region, a first electrode surrounded by the first semiconductor region and including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion provided on the first electrode portion, and a first insulating section including first and second insulating portions. The second insulating portion is arranged side by side with the second electrode portion in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction from the first semiconductor region to the second semiconductor region. The first insulating portion is arranged side by side with the first electrode portion in the second direction. A length and a thickness of the first insulating portion in the first direction are greater than a length and a thickness of the second insulating portion in the first direction, respectively.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to controlling an electric field profile within a drift region of an LDMOS device using first and second RESURF regions. The first RESURF region extends from a source end toward a drain end of the LDMOS device. The first RESURF region is adjacent to a forms a metallurgical junction with the drift region. The second RESURF layer extends from the drain end toward the source end of the LDMOS device. The second RESURF layer has an end that is longitudinally between the body contact and the source end of the first RESURF layer. A distance between the end of the second RESURF layer and the body contact is greater than a vertical distance between the end of the second RESURF layer and the body contact. A maximum electric field between the second RESURF layer and the body contact can be advantageously reduced with this geometry.

A semiconductor device including a semiconductor element is provided. The semiconductor element includes a saturation current suppression layer formed above a drift layer and including electric field block layers arranged in a stripe manner and JFET portions arranged in a stripe manner. The electric field block layers and the JFET portions are alternately arranged. The semiconductor element includes trench gate structures. A longer direction of the trench gate structure intersects with a longer direction of the electric field block layer and a longer direction of JFET portion. The JFET portion includes a first layer having a first conductivity type impurity concentration larger than the drift layer and a second layer formed above the first layer and having a first conductivity type impurity concentration smaller than the first layer.