Epitaxial edge termination for silicon carbide Schottky devices and methods of fabricating silicon carbide devices incorporating same

US6673662B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Cree, Inc. · US

Inventor

• Ranbir Singh · Cary, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 3, 2002
• Grant date: Jan 6, 2004
• Expiry date: Oct 3, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/931

Abstract

Edge termination for a silicon carbide Schottky rectifier is provided by including a silicon carbide epitaxial region on a voltage blocking layer of the Schottky rectifier and adjacent a Schottky contact of the silicon carbide Schottky rectifier. The silicon carbide epitaxial layer may have a thickness and a doping level so as to provide a charge in the silicon carbide epitaxial region based on the surface doping of the blocking layer. The silicon carbide epitaxial region may form a non-ohmic contact with the Schottky contact. The silicon carbide epitaxial region may have a width of from about 1.5 to about 5 times the thickness of the blocking layer. Schottky rectifiers with such edge termination and methods of fabricating such edge termination and such rectifiers are also provided. Such methods may also advantageously improve the performance of the resulting devices and may simplify the fabrication process.