Semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10943981-B2
Application number	US-201816110123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

In a first aspect of a present inventive subject matter, a semiconductor device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The i-type semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor as a major component. The oxide semiconductor that is included as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer includes at least one metal selected from among aluminum, indium, and gallium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer;
an i-type semiconductor layer; and
a p-type semiconductor layer;
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer has a first carrier concentration,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer has a second carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration,
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer has a third carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration,
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer comprises at least one metal selected from among aluminum, indium, and gallium, and
wherein a breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device is 400 V or more.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer is arranged on the n-type semiconductor layer, and
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer is arranged on the i-type semiconductor layer to form a PiN structure.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer comprises gallium.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer comprises a corundum structure, a β-gallia structure or an ε-type structure.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component, and
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises gallium.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises a corundum structure, a β-gallia structure or an ε-type structure.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component, and
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a d-block metal in the periodic table.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a metal of Group 9 of the periodic table.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a corundum structure, a β-gallia structure or an ε-type structure.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reduced surface field (RESURF) region.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a guard ring.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the semiconductor device is a diode.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the semiconductor device is a power device.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer;
an i-type semiconductor layer; and
a p-type semiconductor layer,
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer has a first carrier concentration,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer has a second carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration,
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer has a third carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration,
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises iridium or gallium, and
wherein a breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device is 400 V or more.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component, and
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises at least one metal selected from among aluminum, indium, and gallium.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises at least gallium.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises gallium.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer;
an i-type semiconductor layer; and
a p-type semiconductor layer,
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer has a first carrier concentration,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer has a second carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration, and
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer has a third carrier concentration that is larger than the first carrier concentration,
wherein the n-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises at least one metal selected from among aluminum, indium, and gallium, and
wherein a breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device is 400 V or more.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the i-type semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor as a major component, and the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer comprises one selected from among a corundum structure, a β-gallia structure or an ε-type structure.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the oxide semiconductor that is comprised as the major component of the n-type semiconductor layer comprises at least gallium.

Assignees

• Flosfia Inc

Inventors

• Sugimoto Masahiro
• Takahashi Isao
• Shinohe Takashi
• Hitora Toshimi

Classifications

• H10P14/3446

  Transition metal elements; Rare earth elements · CPC title

• H10P14/3444

  P-type · CPC title

• H10P14/3442

  N-type · CPC title

• H10P14/3434

  being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424) · CPC title

• H10P14/3248

  consisting of two layers · CPC title