POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) SEMICONDUCTOR BODY

20250089343

18/824073

September 04, 2024

A power semiconductor device is proposed. The power semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The SiC semiconductor body includes a transistor cell area comprising transistor cells. Each of the transistor cells includes a gate structure including a gate dielectric structure and a gate electrode structure on the gate dielectric structure. The gate dielectric structure includes a first gate dielectric layer adjoining to the SiC semiconductor body. The gate dielectric structure further includes a second gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric structure further includes charge storage layer arranged between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

1. A power semiconductor device, comprising: a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the SiC semiconductor body comprising a transistor cell area comprising transistor cells, each of the transistor cells comprising a gate structure comprising a gate dielectric structure and a gate electrode structure on the gate dielectric structure, wherein the gate dielectric structure comprises a first gate dielectric layer adjoining to the SiC semiconductor body, a second gate dielectric layer, and a dielectric charge storage layer arranged between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

2. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a conduction band offset at a first interface between the SiC semiconductor body and the first dielectric layer has a value in a range from 1.0 eV to 2 eV.

3. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the gate dielectric structure further comprises a third gate dielectric layer arranged between the second gate dielectric layer and the gate electrode, the third gate dielectric layer adjoining to the gate electrode.

4. The power semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein the third gate dielectric layer is a high-k dielectric layer.

5. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second gate dielectric layer adjoins to the gate electrode.

6. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric charge storage layer comprises a potential well for electrons, and a conduction band offset at a second interface between the dielectric charge storage layer and the first gate dielectric layer and is smaller than a conduction band offset at a third interface between the dielectric charge storage layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

7. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein a difference between the conduction band offset at the third interface and the conduction band offset at the second interface has a value in a range from 0.5 eV to 3 eV.

8. The power semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the conduction band offset at the second interface has a value in a range from 0.5 eV to 1.5 eV.

9. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric charge storage layer is a Hf2O3 layer, the first gate dielectric layer is an Al2O3 layer, and the second gate dielectric layer is a SiO2 layer.

10. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric charge storage layer is an interface layer comprising interface trap states at an interface between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

11. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric charge storage layer is a transition gate dielectric layer having a material composition that changes, along a thickness direction of the gate dielectric structure, from the material composition of the first gate dielectric layer to the material composition of the second gate dielectric layer.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first gate dielectric has a value in a range from 3 nm to 20 nm.

15. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the power semiconductor device is an n-channel vertical power MOSFET comprising a gate trench comprising the gate structure.

16. The power semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the vertical power MOSFET comprises a p-doped diode region adjoining to one sidewall of opposite first and second sidewalls of the gate trench, and wherein the p-doped diode region adjoins to a bottom side of the gate trench.

17. A method for operating the power semiconductor device of claim 1, comprising: resetting the dielectric charge storage layer of the power semiconductor device at least in part by applying a negative gate to source voltage pulse.

18. (canceled)

19. A power semiconductor device, comprising: a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the SiC semiconductor body comprising a transistor cell area comprising transistor cells, each of the transistor cells comprising a gate structure comprising a gate dielectric structure and a gate electrode structure on the gate dielectric structure, wherein the gate dielectric structure comprises a first gate dielectric layer adjoining to the SiC semiconductor body, a second gate dielectric layer, and a charge storage layer arranged between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer, wherein the charge storage layer is an interface layer comprising interface trap states at an interface between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

20. The power semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein a thickness of the first gate dielectric has a value in a range from 3 nm to 20 nm.

21. The power semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the power semiconductor device is an n-channel vertical power MOSFET comprising a gate trench comprising the gate structure.

22. The power semiconductor device of claim 21, wherein the vertical power MOSFET comprises a p-doped diode region adjoining to one sidewall of opposite first and second sidewalls of the gate trench, and wherein the p-doped diode region adjoins to a bottom side of the gate trench.

23. A method for operating the power semiconductor device of claim 19, comprising: resetting the dielectric charge storage layer of the power semiconductor device at least in part by applying a negative gate to source voltage pulse.

24. A power semiconductor device, comprising: a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the SiC semiconductor body comprising a transistor cell area comprising transistor cells, each of the transistor cells comprising a gate structure comprising a gate dielectric structure and a gate electrode structure on the gate dielectric structure, wherein the gate dielectric structure comprises a first gate dielectric layer adjoining to the SiC semiconductor body, a second gate dielectric layer, and a charge storage layer arranged between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer, wherein the charge storage layer is a transition gate dielectric layer having a material composition that changes, along a thickness direction of the gate dielectric structure, from the material composition of the first gate dielectric layer to the material composition of the second gate dielectric layer.

25. The power semiconductor device of claim 24, wherein a thickness of the transition gate dielectric layer has a value in a range from 0.1 nm to 3 nm.

26. The power semiconductor device of claim 24, wherein the transition gate dielectric layer comprises a concentration of impurities having a value in a range from 1011 cm−3 to 1013 cm−3.

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