Exemplary power semiconductor devices with features providing increased breakdown voltage and other benefits are disclosed.

In one embodiment, the semiconductor devices relate to using one or more super-junction trenches for termination.

A super junction structure having a high aspect ratio is formed. An epitaxial layer is dividedly formed in layers using the trench fill process, and when each of the layers has been formed, trenches are formed in that layer. For example, when a first epitaxial layer has been formed, first trenches are formed in the epitaxial layer. Subsequently, when a second epitaxial layer has been formed, second trenches are formed in the epitaxial layer. Subsequently, when a third epitaxial layer has been formed, third trenches are formed in the third epitaxial layer.

A silicon carbide semiconductor device has a silicon carbide substrate and an insulating film. The silicon carbide substrate includes a termination region having a peripheral edge, and an element region surrounded by the termination region. The insulating film is provided on the termination region. The termination region includes a first impurity region having a first conductivity type, and a field stop region having the first conductivity type, being in contact with the first impurity region and having a higher impurity concentration than the first impurity region. The field stop region is at least partially exposed at the peripheral edge.

A MOSFET having a stacked-gate super-junction design and novel termination structure. At least some illustrative embodiments of the device include a conductive (highly-doped with dopants of a first conductivity type) substrate with a lightly-doped epitaxial layer. The volume of the epitaxial layer is substantially filled with a charge compensation structure having vertical trenches forming intermediate mesas. The mesas are moderately doped via the trench sidewalls to have a second conductivity type, while the mesa tops are heavily-doped to have the first conductivity type. Sidewall layers are provided in the vertical trenches, the sidewall layers being a moderately-doped semiconductor of the first conductivity type. The shoulders of the sidewall layers are recessed below the mesa top to receive an overlying gate for controlling a channel between the mesa top and the sidewall layer. The mesa tops are coupled to a source electrode, while a drain electrode is provided on the back side of the substrate.

In a general aspect, a semiconductor device can include a semiconductor region, an active region disposed in the semiconductor region, and a termination region disposed on the semiconductor region and adjacent to the active region. The termination region can include a trench having a conductive material disposed therein. The termination region can further include a first cavity separating the trench from the semiconductor region. A portion of the first cavity can be disposed between a bottom of the trench and the semiconductor region. The termination region can also include a second cavity separating the trench from the semiconductor region.

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a trench structure with trenches in an inner region and an edge region of a SiC semiconductor body such that the trench structure extends from a first surface of the semiconductor body through a second semiconductor layer into a first semiconductor layer and such that the trench structure, in the second semiconductor layer, forms mesa regions; and forming at least one transistor cell at least partially in each of the mesa regions in the inner region. Forming each transistor cell includes forming at least one compensation region. Forming the compensation region includes implanting dopant atoms of a second doping type via sidewalls of the trenches into the mesa regions in the inner region. Forming the compensation region in each mesa region in the inner region includes at least partially covering the edge region with an implantation mask.

The present disclosure has an object of providing a silicon carbide semiconductor device with high productivity which prevents characteristic degradation occurring when a large current is applied to a body diode. A structure including a SiC substrate, a buffer layer, and a drift layer is classified into an active region through which a current flows with application of a voltage to the SiC-MOSFET, and a breakdown voltage support region around a periphery of the active region in a plan view. The active region is classified into a first active region in a center portion, and a second active region between the first active region and the breakdown voltage support region in the plan view. Lifetimes of minority carriers in the second active region and the breakdown voltage support region are shorter than that in the first active region.

A transistor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first major surface, a cell field, and an edge termination region laterally surrounding the cell field. The cell field includes elongate trenches that extend from the first major surface into the semiconductor substrate and that are positioned substantially parallel to one another such that one or more inner elongate trenches are arranged between two outermost elongate trenches and elongate mesas, each elongate mesa being formed between neighbouring elongate trenches. The elongate mesas include a drift region, a body region on the drift region and a source region on the body region. In a top view, one or both of the outermost elongate trenches has a different contour from the one or more inner elongate trenches.

In a semiconductor device in a wafer state, an element region and a scribe region are defined in one main surface of a semiconductor substrate. In the element region, a vertical MOS transistor is formed as a semiconductor element. In the scribe region, an n-type column region and a p-type column region are defined. An n-type column resistor is formed in the n-type column region. A p-type column resistor is formed in the p-type column region.