A monolithically integrated bidirectional switch includes: an input terminal; an output terminal; a control terminal; a compound semiconductor substrate; a common drift region in the compound semiconductor substrate and in series between the input terminal and the output terminal; a first gate; and a second gate. One of the first gate and the second gate is a normally-on gate and the other one of the first gate and the second gate is a normally-off gate, such that the monolithically integrated bidirectional switch is configured to conduct current in a single direction from the input terminal to the output terminal through the common drift region. A corresponding power electronic system that uses the monolithically integrated bidirectional switch is also described.

A device with stacked transistors includes a first transistor of a first type, in particular N or P, the first transistor having a channel formed in one or more first semi-conducting rods of a semi-conducting structure including semi-conducting rods disposed above each other and aligned with each other, and a second transistor of a second type, in particular P or N, with a gate-surrounding gate and a channel region formed in one or more second semi-conducting rods of said semi-conducting structure and disposed above the first semi-conducting rods. The source block of the second transistor is distinct from the source and drain block of the second transistor, and the drain block of the second transistor is distinct from the drain and source blocks of the second transistor.

A power semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body having a first surface and a mesa portion that includes a surface part of the first surface and a body region; at least two trenches extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body along a vertical direction, each trench including a trench electrode and trench insulator insulating the trench electrode from the semiconductor body, the mesa portion being laterally confined by the trenches in a first vertical cross-section along a first lateral direction; and a contact plug in contact with the body region. The contact plug and trench electrode of a first trench laterally overlap at least partially in the first vertical cross-section. A protection structure having a portion arranged within the first trench is arranged between the contact plug and trench electrode of the first trench. The protection structure may be an electrically insulation structure or a protective device structure.

Semiconductor devices, and in particular protection structures for semiconductor devices that include sensor arrangements are disclosed. A semiconductor device may include a sensor region, for example a current sensor region that occupies a portion of an overall active area of the device. The current sensor region may be configured to provide monitoring of device load currents during operation. Semiconductor devices according to the present disclosure include one or more protection structures that are configured to allow the semiconductor devices to withstand transient voltage events without device failure. A protection structure may include an insulating layer that is provided in a transition region between a device region and the sensor region of the semiconductor device. In the example of an insulated gate semiconductor device, the insulating layer of the protection structure may include a material with a greater breakdown voltage than a breakdown voltage of a gate insulating layer.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of stacked units, a conductive structure, a plurality of dielectrics, a first electrode strip, a second electrode strip, and a plurality of contact structures. The stacked units are stacked up over the semiconductor substrate, and comprises a first passivation layer, a second passivation layer and a channel layer sandwiched between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer. The conductive structure is disposed on the semiconductor substrate and wrapping around the stacked units. The dielectrics are surrounding the stacked units and separating the stacked units from the conductive structure. The first electrode strip and the second electrode strip are located on two opposing sides of the conductive structure. The contact structures are connecting the channel layer of each of the stacked units to the first electrode strip and the second electrode strip.

In this patent application, a new Metal Oxide Semiconductor MOS planar cell design concept is proposed. The inventive power semiconductor includes a planar cell forming a horizontal channel and a plurality of trenches, which are arranged orthogonally to the plane of the planar cells. A second p base layer is introduced which extends perpendicularly deeper than the source region and laterally to the same distance/extent as the source region. Therefore, a vertical channel is prevented from forming in the trench regions while allowing the horizontal channels to form. This is extremely important in order to avoid significant issues (i.e. shifts in Vth) encountered in prior art IGBT designs. The new cell concept adopts planar MOS channel and Trench technology in a single MOS cell structure. The new design offers a wide range of advantages both in terms of performance (reduced losses, improved controllability and reliability), and processability (narrow mesa design rules, reliable planar process compatibility) and can be applied to both IGBTs and MOSFETs based on silicon or wide bandgap materials such as Silicon Carbide SiC. Furthermore, the device is easy to manufacture, because the inventive design can be manufactured based on a self-aligned process with minimum number of masks, with the potential of additionally applying enhancement layers and/or reverse conducting type of structures.

Disclosed herein are transistor arrangements with trench contacts that have two partsa first trench contact and a second trench contactstacked over one another. Such transistor arrangements may be fabricated by forming a first trench contact over a source or drain contact of a transistor, recessing the first trench contact, forming the second trench contact over the first trench contact, and, finally, forming a gate contact that is electrically isolated from, while being self-aligned to, the second trench contact. Such a fabrication process may provide improvements in terms of increased edge placement error margin, cost-efficiency, and device performance, compared to conventional approaches to forming trench and gate contacts. The conductive material of the first trench contact may also be deposited over the gate electrodes of transistors, forming a gate strap, to advantageously reduce gate resistance.

A method of forming stacked vertical field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first spacer layer on the substrate, a first protective liner on the first spacer layer, a first gap layer on the first protective liner, a second protective liner on the first gap layer, a second spacer layer on the second protective liner, a sacrificial layer on the second spacer layer, a third spacer layer on the sacrificial layer, a third protective liner on the third spacer layer, a second gap layer on the third protective liner, a fourth protective liner on the second gap layer, and a fourth spacer layer on the fourth protective liner. The method further includes forming channels through the layer stack, a liner layer on the sidewalls of the channels, and a vertical pillar in the channels.

A semiconductor device has an active region through which a main current flows, a gate ring region surrounding a periphery of the active region, a source ring region surrounding a periphery of the gate ring region, and a termination region surrounding a periphery of the source ring region. The semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and further, in the active region, first semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, a gate insulating film, first gate electrodes, an interlayer insulating film, a first first-electrode, a first plating film, and a second electrode. The semiconductor device has, in the source ring region, a second first-electrode provided at a surface of the second semiconductor layer, and a second plating film provided on the second first-electrode.

The transistor includes a first III-V compound layer. A second III-V compound layer is disposed on the first III-V compound layer and is different from the first III-V compound layer in composition. A carrier channel is located between the first III-V compound layer and the second III-V compound layer. A source feature and a drain feature are disposed on the second III-V compound layer.