Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing silicon carbide semiconductor device
10600921 ยท 2020-03-24
Assignee
Inventors
- Naoyuki Ohse (Tsukuba, JP)
- Fumikazu Imai (Tsukuba, JP)
- Tsunehiro Nakajima (Matsumoto, JP)
- Kenji Fukuda (Tsukuba, JP)
- Shinsuke Harada (Tsukuba, JP)
- Mitsuo Okamoto (Tsukuba, JP)
Cpc classification
H01L29/6606
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01L29/66
ELECTRICITY
H01L29/16
ELECTRICITY
H01L21/04
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
In forming an ohmic electrode on a back surface of an n-type SiC substrate, an n.sup.+-type semiconductor region is formed in a surface layer of the back surface of an n-type epitaxial substrate by ion implantation. In this ion implantation, the impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region is a predetermined range and preferably a predetermined value or less, and an n-type impurity is implanted by acceleration energy of a predetermined range such that the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region has a predetermined thickness or less. Thereafter, a nickel layer and a titanium layer are sequentially formed on the surface of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region, the nickel layer is heat treated to form a silicide, and the ohmic electrode formed from nickel silicide is formed. In this manner, a back surface electrode that has favorable properties can be formed while peeling of the back surface electrode can be suppressed.
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device, comprising: implanting an impurity into a back surface of a semiconductor substrate formed from silicon carbide to thereby form in a surface layer of the back surface of the semiconductor substrate a high-concentration semiconductor region that has an impurity concentration that is higher than that of the semiconductor substrate, the high-concentration semiconductor region formed to a thickness greater than 200 nm; forming a carbon protection film on a front surface semiconductor device structure; performing heat treatment of the semiconductor substrate, including the carbon protection film, to activate the impurity in the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; after performing the heat treatment of the semiconductor substrate to activate the impurity in the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, removing a portion of the back surface of the semiconductor substrate to reduce a thickness of the high-concentration semiconductor region to a thickness of 200 nm or less; forming a metal electrode on a surface of the high-concentration semiconductor region; and performing a heat treatment to form an ohmic contact of the metal electrode and the high-concentration semiconductor region, wherein the impurity concentration of the high-concentration semiconductor region is a range from 110.sup.19/cm.sup.3 to 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3, the impurity is implanted by acceleration energy of 150 keV or less, and one of aluminum, phosphorus, arsenic, nitrogen, boron, magnesium, and gallium is implanted as the impurity.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the impurity concentration of the high-concentration semiconductor region is 410.sup.20/cm.sup.3 or less.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming a front surface semiconductor device structure in a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein forming the front surface semiconductor device structure includes performing ion implantation in the front surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of semiconductor regions having an impurity concentration different than the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of semiconductor regions spaced apart from each other.
5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: forming a Schottky electrode on the plurality of semiconductor regions.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein forming the Schottky electrode comprises: forming an insulating film on the semiconductor substrate and the plurality of semiconductor regions; removing a portion of the insulating film over an active region of the semiconductor substrate including the plurality of semiconductor regions; and depositing a conductive material on the insulating film and the active region to form the Schottky electrode, such that the Schottky electrode covers the active region and extends past edges of the active region onto the insulating film.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the conductive material is titanium.
8. The method of manufacturing the silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising: forming an electrode pad on the Schottky electrode and the insulating film, such that the electrode pad extends past ends of the Schottky electrode to cover portions of the insulating film.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(14) Preferred embodiments of a silicon carbide semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present description and accompanying drawings, layers and regions prefixed with n or p mean that majority carriers are electrons or holes. Additionally, + or appended to n or p means that the impurity concentration is higher or lower, respectively, than layers and regions without + or . In the description of the embodiments below and the accompanying drawings, identical constituent elements will be given the same reference numerals and will not be repeatedly described.
Embodiment
(15) As a structure of a silicon carbide semiconductor device produced (manufactured) by the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to the embodiment, a Schottky barrier diode (hereinafter, SiC-SBD) will be described as an example.
(16) In a surface layer of the front surface of the n-type SiC epitaxial substrate, p.sup.+-type semiconductor regions 3 configuring a junction barrier Schottky (JBS) structure are selectively disposed at predetermined intervals. An interlayer insulating film 4 is disposed on the front surface of the n-type SiC epitaxial substrate. In the interlayer insulating film 4, a contact hole 4a that exposes the front surface of the n-type SiC epitaxial substrate is disposed in an activation region where the p.sup.+-type semiconductor regions 3 are formed. The activation region is a region where current flows during an ON state. A Schottky electrode 5 is disposed in the contact hole 4a of the interlayer insulating film 4 and abuts portions between the p.sup.+-type semiconductor regions 3 and the p.sup.+-type semiconductor regions 3 of the n.sup.-type SiC epitaxial layer 2. An end portion of the Schottky electrode 5 extends from the active region onto the interlayer insulating film 4. An electrode pad 6 formed from aluminum (Al), for example, is disposed on the Schottky electrode 5.
(17) An n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 is disposed in a surface layer of the back surface (back surface of the n-type SiC substrate 1) of the n-type SiC epitaxial substrate. The thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 is preferably, for example, 200 nm or less. The impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 is, for example, 110.sup.19/cm.sup.3 or greater and 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3 or less, and preferably 410.sup.20/cm.sup.3 or less, for example. The reason for this is as follows. When the impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 is less than 110.sup.19/cm.sup.3, a contact (electrical contact portion) with an ohmic electrode 8 described hereinafter cannot be made to be an ohmic contact. Further, when the impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 exceeds 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3, the contact resistivity of the n-type SiC substrate 1 and the ohmic electrode 8 cannot be made to be comparable to or less than that conventionally.
(18) The ohmic electrode 8 forms an ohmic contact with the n-type SiC substrate 1 (n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7) and is disposed on the surface of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7. The ohmic electrode 8 is preferably a nickel silicide layer formed by heat treating, for example, a nickel (Ni) layer and a titanium (Ti) layer sequentially stacked on the surface of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7. An external connection electrode layer 9 formed from, for example, gold (Au), is disposed on the surface of the ohmic electrode 8.
(19) Concerning the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to the embodiment, a case where the SiC-SBD depicted in
(20) As depicted in
(21) Next, as depicted in
(22) Next, as depicted in
(23) Next, as depicted in
(24) Next, as depicted in
(25) Next, as depicted in
(26) Next, for example, an aluminum layer of a thickness of about 5 m is formed as the electrode pad 6 on the Schottky electrode 5, by a physical vapor deposition method such as sputtering. Further, for example, a gold layer of a thickness of about 200 nm, for example, is formed as the external connection electrode layer 9 on the ohmic electrode 8, by a physical vapor deposition method such as sputtering, whereby the SiC-SBD depicted in
Example 1
(27) The relationship of impurity concentration and thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 and the occurrence of peeling of the back surface electrode (the ohmic electrode 8 and the external connection electrode layer 9) will be described.
(28) In example 1-2, the second ion implantation was performed by an acceleration energy such that the impurity concentration and thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 became 410.sup.20/cm.sup.3 and 200 nm, respectively. Excluding the condition for the impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7, conditions for example 1-2 were the same as those for example 1-1. For comparison, a sample was produced based on different second ion implantation conditions (hereinafter, comparison example). For the comparison example, in the second ion implantation, phosphorus was implanted in multiple stages by acceleration energy ranging from 30 keV to 350 keV such that the box profile impurity concentration from the substrate back surface to a depth of about 500 nm after device completion became 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3. Excluding the second ion implantation condition, conditions for the comparison example were the same as those for example 1-1.
(29) A general peeling test was performed with respect to the back surface electrode of examples 1-1, 1-2 and the comparison example. The results are shown in
(30) In examples 1-1, 1-2, the back surface electrode did not peel for the following reasons. The acceleration energy of the second ion implantation for forming the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 was set to about 150 keV or less and the thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7, which is the source of carbon to the ohmic electrode 8, was set to 200 nm or less, whereby the amount of carbon deposited at the ohmic electrode 8 could be reduced. As a result, inside the ohmic electrode 8, the deposited carbon layer (the layer of continuous deposited carbon) that causes peeling of the back surface electrode is not formed. Further, as in example 1-2, the impurity concentration of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 is set to be less than 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3, whereby the contact resistivity of the n-type SiC substrate 1 and the ohmic electrode 8 can be reduced. Therefore, as with examples 1-1, 1-2, it was confirmed that by controlling the impurity concentration and thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7, peeling of the back surface electrode could be prevented while the contact resistivity of the n-type SiC substrate 1 and the ohmic electrode 8 was maintained or reduced.
Example 2
(31) The relationship of the thickness of the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region 7 and the occurrence of peeling of the back surface electrode will be described.
(32) A general peeling test was performed with respect to the back surface electrodes of the first to fifth specimens. The results are shown in
(33) As described above, according to the embodiment, the acceleration energy in the second ion implantation for forming the high-concentration semiconductor region (n.sup.+-type semiconductor region) on the back surface side of the SiC substrate is set to about 150 keV or less and the thickness of the high-concentration semiconductor region is set to about 200 nm or less, whereby during heat treatment to form the nickel silicide layer (ohmic electrode), carbon atoms inside the high-concentration semiconductor region can be controlled to suppress deposition in the nickel silicide layer. As a result, the amount of carbon deposited at the nickel silicide layer can be reduced and the layer of continuous deposited carbon inside the nickel silicide layer (deposited carbon layer) does not form. Therefore, peeling of the back surface electrode (ohmic electrode and external connection electrode layer) caused by the carbon in the nickel silicide layer can be sufficiently suppressed. Further, according to the embodiment, the impurity concentration of the high-concentration semiconductor region formed in the back surface of the SiC substrate is set to 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3 or less, whereby the contact resistivity of the SiC substrate (i.e., high-concentration semiconductor region) and of the ohmic electrode can be maintained or reduced. As a result, decreases in the current (ON current) that flows in the activated region during device operation can be prevented, enabling a back surface electrode that has favorable properties to be formed.
(34) Although a SBD has been described as an example in the present invention, the invention is not limited hereto and, for example, is applicable to other semiconductor devices that use silicon carbide such as MOSFETs, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), diodes, etc. In other words, in the embodiment described, by variously modifying front surface device structures formed on the front surface side of a SiC substrate, a silicon carbide semiconductor device can be produced to have various configurations equipped with an ohmic electrode on the substrate back surface. In the embodiment, although description has been given taking a case where phosphorus is used as a dopant in the second ion implantation for forming the high-concentration semiconductor region in the back surface of the SiC substrate, the invention is not limited hereto and various modifications corresponding to back surface device structures are possible. More specifically, for example, when an n-type high-concentration semiconductor region is formed by the second ion implantation, phosphorus, arsenic (As), nitrogen (N) can be used; when a p-type high-concentration semiconductor region is formed by the second ion implantation, aluminum, boron (B), magnesium (Mg), gallium (Ga) can be used. Further, in the described embodiment, although use of an epitaxial substrate on which n.sup.type SiC epitaxial layers are stacked on an n-type SiC substrate is described, the invention is not limited hereto and an n.sup.type SiC substrate of a thickness equivalent to that of the epitaxial substrate may be used. Further, the present invention is also effective even when the conduction types (n-type, p-type) of the semiconductor substrate or semiconductor layers are inversed in the described embodiment.
(35) As a result of earnest research, the inventors found the following. With the described conventional techniques, carbon atoms in the high-concentration semiconductor region 102 are presumed to be deposited in the nickel silicide layer 105 to form the deposited carbon layer 106 during the heat treatment for forming the nickel silicide layer 105. In this regard, the inventors found that by adjusting the impurity concentration of the high-concentration semiconductor region and the depth of from the substrate back surface, contact resistivity of the ohmic electrode (nickel silicide layer) and the SiC substrate (high-concentration semiconductor region) comparable to or less than that obtained by the conventional techniques can be achieved without the formation of the deposited carbon layer in the nickel silicide layer. The present invention is based on this finding.
(36) According to the described invention, by setting the thickness of the high-concentration semiconductor region to about 200 nm or less, carbon atoms inside the high-concentration semiconductor region can be controlled to suppress deposition in the metal electrode. As a result, the amount of carbon deposited at the metal electrode from the high-concentration semiconductor region can be reduced, and the layer of continuous deposited carbon inside the metal electrode does not form. Therefore, the peeling of the metal electrode caused by the carbon in the metal electrode can be prevented. Further, according to the present invention, the impurity concentration of the high-concentration semiconductor region is set to 810.sup.20/cm.sup.3 or less, whereby the contact resistivity of the high-concentration semiconductor region and the metal electrode can be made comparable to or less than that conventionally. As a result, decreases in the current that flows in the activated region during device operation can be prevented.
(37) The silicon carbide semiconductor device and the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to the present invention achieve an effect in that the peeling of the back surface electrode can be suppressed while enabling the back surface electrode to be formed to have favorable properties.
(38) As described, the silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to the present invention are useful in power semiconductors equipped with a metal electrode forming an ohmic contact with a silicon carbide semiconductor.
(39) Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.