Method of manufacturing silicon carbide semiconductor device

US9613809B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9613809-B2
Application numberUS-201414766963-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJan 17, 2014
Priority dateMar 8, 2013
Publication dateApr 4, 2017
Grant dateApr 4, 2017

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes the following steps. A silicon carbide substrate is prepared. A first mask layer is formed in contact with a first main surface of the silicon carbide substrate. The first mask layer includes a first layer disposed in contact with the first main surface, an etching stop layer disposed in contact with the first layer and made of a material different from that for the first layer, and a second layer disposed in contact with a surface of the etching stop layer opposite to the surface in contact with the first layer. A recess is formed in the first mask layer by etching the second layer and the etching stop layer. A first impurity region is formed in the silicon carbide substrate using the first mask layer with the recess. The first mask layer does not include a metallic element.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device, comprising steps of: preparing a silicon carbide substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to each other; forming a first mask layer in contact with said first main surface of said silicon carbide substrate, said first mask layer including a first layer disposed in contact with said first main surface, an etching stop layer disposed in contact with said first layer and made of a material different from that for said first layer, and a second layer disposed in contact with a surface of said etching stop layer opposite to the surface in contact with said first layer; forming a recess in said first mask layer by etching said second layer and said etching stop layer; and forming a first impurity region having a first conductivity type in said silicon carbide substrate using said first mask layer with said recess, said first mask layer not including a metallic element, and further comprising a step of forming a second mask layer on said second main surface of said silicon carbide substrate, said second mask layer not including a metallic element. 2. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said second mask layer includes a third layer disposed in contact with said second main surface and made of a same material as that for said first layer, a fourth layer disposed in contact with said third layer and made of a same material as that for said etching stop layer, and a fifth layer disposed in contact with a surface of said fourth layer opposite to the surface in contact with said third layer and made of a same material as that for said second layer. 3. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said first layer, said etching stop layer and said second layer are formed without generation of plasma. 4. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein said etching stop layer and said second layer are formed by thermal chemical vapor deposition. 5. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein said etching stop layer and said second layer are formed by low-pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition. 6. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein said first layer is formed either by a method of thermally oxidizing said first main surface or by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. 7. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said first layer is made of either silicon dioxide or silicon nitride. 8. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said second layer is made of either silicon dioxide or silicon nitride. 9. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said etching stop layer is made of polysilicon. 10. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of: after said step of forming a first impurity region, removing said first mask layer; and after said step of removing said first mask layer, performing activation annealing on said silicon carbide substrate. 11. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of: after said step of forming a first impurity region, forming, in said recess, a third mask layer with an opening having a width smaller than said recess; and forming a second impurity region having a second conductivity type different from said first conductivity type in said first impurity region using said third mask layer. 12. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of: after said step of forming a first impurity region, forming a fourth mask layer in contact with said first layer; and forming a guard ring region having said first conductivity type in said silicon carbide substrate using said fourth mask layer, with said first layer remaining in contact with said first main surface.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering · CPC title

  • characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks · CPC title

  • using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

  • into crystalline silicon carbide · CPC title

  • using masks · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9613809B2 cover?
A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes the following steps. A silicon carbide substrate is prepared. A first mask layer is formed in contact with a first main surface of the silicon carbide substrate. The first mask layer includes a first layer disposed in contact with the first main surface, an etching stop layer disposed in contact with the first layer and m…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Sumitomo Electric Industries
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H10P32/172. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Apr 04 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).