Power semiconductor element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9406668-B2
Application number	US-201414779104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2013
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A power semiconductor element includes: a main transistor including a first gate electrode, a first drain electrode, and a first source electrode; a sensor transistor including a second gate electrode, a second drain electrode, and a second source electrode; and a gate switch transistor including a third gate electrode, and a third drain electrode, a third source electrode. The first gate electrode, the second gate electrode, and the third drain electrode are connected, the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode are connected, the first source electrode and the second source electrode are connected via a sensor resistor, the first source electrode and the third source electrode are connected, the second source electrode and the third gate electrode are connected via a switch resistor, and the main transistor, the sensor transistor, and the gate switch transistor are formed with a nitride semiconductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power semiconductor element comprising:
a main transistor including a first gate electrode, a first drain electrode, and a first source electrode;
a sensor transistor including a second gate electrode, a second drain electrode, and a second source electrode; and
a gate switch transistor including a third gate electrode, a third drain electrode, and a third source electrode;
a sensor resistor; and
a switch resistor,
wherein the first gate electrode, the second gate electrode, and the third drain electrode are connected,
the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode are connected,
the first source electrode and the second source electrode are connected via the sensor resistor,
the first source electrode and the third source electrode are connected,
the second source electrode and the third gate electrode are connected via the switch resistor, and
the main transistor, the sensor transistor, and the gate switch transistor are formed with a nitride semiconductor.

2. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 , further comprising
a capacitor inserted between the third gate electrode and the third source electrode.

3. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first resistor inserted between (i) the first gate electrode and the third drain electrode and (ii) the second gate electrode.

4. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second resistor inserted between the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode.

5. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,
wherein either an ON voltage of the main transistor or an ON voltage of the gate switch transistor is lower than or equal to 3 V.

6. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the main transistor, the sensor transistor, and the gate switch transistor is a gate injection transistor.

7. The power semiconductor element according to claim 6 ,
wherein the main transistor, the sensor transistor, and the gate switch transistor includes:
a GaN layer formed above a substrate;
an AlGaN layer formed above the GaN layer; and
first, second, and third gate contact layers formed above the AlGaN layer,
wherein the first, second, third gate electrodes are formed above the first, second, and third gate contact layers, respectively,
the first source electrode and the first drain electrode are formed at positions which are above the AlGaN layer and which sandwich the first gate contact layer,
the second source electrode and the second drain electrode are formed at positions which are above the AlGaN layer and which sandwich the second gate contact layer,
the third source electrode and the third drain electrode are formed at positions which are above the AlGaN layer and which sandwich the third gate contact layer, and
the sensor resistor and the switch resistor are formed in a layer identical to the first, second, and third gate contact layers.

8. The power semiconductor element according to claim 7 ,
wherein a material of the gate contact layer is p + AlGaN.

9. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the main transistor includes a plurality of first sub transistors connected in parallel to each other,
either the sensor transistor or the gate switch transistor includes a plurality of second sub transistors connected in parallel to each other, and
each of a plurality of first electrodes is connected to a corresponding one of a plurality of second electrodes via a corresponding one of a plurality of lines which are separate from each other, the plurality of first electrodes being of the plurality of first sub transistors and being a plurality of gate electrodes, a plurality of source electrodes, or a plurality of drain electrodes, and the plurality of second electrodes being of the plurality of second sub transistors and being a plurality of gate electrodes, a plurality of source electrodes, or a plurality of drain electrodes.

10. The power semiconductor element according to claim 9 ,
wherein a distance between (i) either the sensor resistor or the switch resistor and (ii) one of the first gate electrode, the first drain electrode, the first source electrode, the second gate electrode, the second drain electrode, the second source electrode, the third gate electrode, the third drain electrode, and the third source electrode is smaller than or equal to 100 micrometers.

11. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the main transistor includes a plurality of first sub transistors connected in parallel to each other,
the sensor transistor includes a plurality of second sub transistors connected in parallel to each other,
each of the plurality of first sub transistors includes a first drain sub electrode, a first gate sub electrode, and a first source sub electrode which extend in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction when the power semiconductor element is viewed in a plan view,
the plurality of first sub transistors are arranged in the second direction,
each of the plurality of second sub transistors includes a second drain sub electrode, a second gate sub electrode, and a second source sub electrode which extend in the first direction and are arranged in the second direction,
the plurality of second sub transistors are arranged in the second direction,
the main transistor and the sensor transistor are arranged in the first direction,
the sensor resistor includes a plurality of first sub transistors,
each of the plurality of first sub transistors is arranged between a first source sub electrode and a second source sub electrode arranged in the first direction,
the main transistor and the gate switch transistor are arranged in the second direction,
the third drain electrode, the third gate electrode, and the third source electrode are arranged in the second direction and each of which extends in the first direction,
the switch resistor has an end that is connected to an end part which is of the second source sub electrode and to which the first sub resistor is not connected, the second source sub electrode being arranged at a side of the gate switch transistor, and
the switch resistor has an end that is connected to an end part which is of the third gate electrode and at a side of which the sensor transistor is arranged.

12. The power semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the main transistor includes a plurality of first sub transistors connected in parallel to each other,
the sensor transistor includes a plurality of second sub transistors connected in parallel to each other,
each of the plurality of first sub transistors includes a first drain sub electrode, a first gate sub electrode, and a first source sub electrode which extend in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction when the power semiconductor element is viewed in a plan view,
the plurality of first sub transistors are arranged in the second direction,
each of the plurality of second sub transistors includes a second drain sub electrode, a second gate sub electrode, and a second source sub electrode which extend in the first direction and are arranged in the second direction,
the plurality of second sub transistors are arranged in the second direction,
the main transistor and the sensor transistor are arranged in the first direction,
the sensor resistor includes a plurality of first sub transistors,
the switch resistor includes a plurality of second sub resistors,
the gate switch transistor

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagai Shuichi
• Ueda Daisuke
• Morita Tatsuo
• Ueda Tetsuzo

Classifications

• H10D48/345

  Bipolar transistors having ohmic electrodes on emitter-like, base-like, and collector-like regions · CPC title

• H10D84/817

  Combinations of field-effect devices and resistors only · CPC title

• H10D89/60

  Integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. protection circuits against electrostatic discharge [ESD] · CPC title

• H10D89/10

  Integrated device layouts · CPC title

• H10D84/811

  Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors · CPC title