High voltage semiconductor device
US4754310A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 4, 1984 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 4, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D64/115
Abstract
A field effect transistor, a bipolar transistor, a PIN diode, a Schottky rectifier or other high voltage semiconductor device comprise a semiconductor body having a depletion layer formed throughout a portion in at least a high voltage mode of operation of the device, such as, by reverse biasing a rectifying junction. The known use of a single high-resistivity body portion of one conductivity type to carry both the high voltage and to conduct current results in a series resistivity increasing approximately in proportion with the square of the breakdown voltage. This square-law relationship is avoided by the present invention in which a depleted body portion comprising an interleaved structure of first and second regions of alternating conductivity types carries the high voltage which occurs across the depleted body portion. The thickness and doping concentration of each of these first and second regions are such that when depleted the space charge per unit area formed in each of these regions is balanced at least to the extent that an electric field resulting from any imbalance is less than the critical field strength at which avalanche breakdown would occur in the body portion. Th…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.