EP0217266A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Insulated gate device
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1986-09-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-23
Abstract
Abstract An insulated gate device includes at least one cell having base and emitter region surfaces disposed in ohmic contact with a metallic emitter electrode. The cell is constructed to provide a larger ratio of base region surface area to emitter region surface area in contact with the emitter electrode than is found in the prior art. The cell is further constructed to provide paths for reverse current flow from a drift region through the base region and to the emitter electrode; these paths being spaced from the cell's emitter-base junction.
Inventors
- 👤 Hamza Yilmaz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 20:32
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/124; H10D62/126; H10D62/127; H10D12/00; H10D12/411; H10D12/441
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
In a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor wafer having a drift region of a first conductivity type and a major surface overlying said drift region; a gate electrode insulatively spaced from said major surface by an insulating region including at least one contact window exposing a portion of an underlying cell; said cell including a base region of a second conductivity type extending from said major surface into said drift region and an emitter region of said first conductivity type extending from said major surface into said base region and forming an emitter-base junction therewith; said contact window exposing adjacent base and emitter region surfaces on said major surface; an emitter electrode insulated from said gate electrode and disposed in ohmic contact with said base and emitter region surfaces exposed within said contact window; the improvement wherein: said contact window has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of longitudinally opposed sides and a pair of transversely opposed ends; and said base region including a respective end portion situated proximate each of said contact window ends, each of said end portions having an exposed surface disposed adjacent said contact window end; whereby reverse current paths spaced from said emitter-base junction are established between said drift region and said emitter electrode through said base region end portions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
In a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor wafer having a drift region of a first conductivity type and a major surface overlying said drift region; a gate electrode insulatively spaced from said major surface by an insulating region including at least one contact window exposing a portion of an underlying cell; said cell including a base region of a second conductivity type extending from said major surface into said drift region and an emitter region of said first conductivity type extending from said major surface into said base region and forming an emitter-base junction therewith; said contact window exposing adjacent base and emitter region surfaces on said major surface; an emitter electrode insulated from said gate electrode and disposed in ohmic contact with said base and emitter region surfaces exposed within said contact window; the improvement wherein: said contact window has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of longitudinally opposed sides and a pair of transversely opposed ends; and said base region including a respective end portion situated proximate each of said contact window ends, each of said end portions having an exposed surface disposed adjacent said contact window end; whereby reverse current paths spaced from said emitter-base junction are established between said drift region and said emitter electrode through said base region end portions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 1 wherein: said exposed surface of each of said respective base region end portions is disposed coextensively with its adjacent contact window end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 2 wherein: said exposed surface of each of said respective base region end portions is substantially rectangular in shape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
84 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 2 wherein: said emitter region includes a respective side portion situated proximate each of said contact window sides, each of said side portions having an exposed surface disposed contiguously with its proximate contact window side; and said base region further includes a center portion connecting said respective end portions and having an exposed surface connecting said exposed surfaces of said end portions, said center portion exposed surface disposed intermediate said exposed surfaces of said emitter region side portions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 4 wherein: each of said exposed surfaces of said base region end and center portions is substantially rectangular in shape; and each of said exposed surfaces of said emitter region side portion is substantially rectangular in shape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 4 wherein: the ratio of the combined areas of said exposed surfaces of said base region end and center portions to said exposed surfaces of said emitter region side portions is not less than 1/3.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 6 wherein: said contact window is rectangularly elongated and has a length/width aspect ratio of not less than 20.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 7 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 4 wherein: said emitter region further includes at least one bridge portion interconnecting said side portions and having an exposed surface interrupting said exposed surface of said base region center portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 9 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
101 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 4 wherein: each of said side portions of said emitter region is in the form of a plurality of separate, longitudinally spaced segments each having an exposed surface disposed contiguous with its proximate contact window side; and said center portion of said base region further includes a respective lateral extension disposed between each longitudinally adjacent pair of said emitter region side portion segments, said lateral extensions having exposed surfaces disposed between the exposed surfaces of said emitter region side portion segments and connected with said exposed surface of said center portion of said base region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 11 wherein: each of said exposed surfaces of said base region end and center portions is substantially rectangular in shape; and each of said exposed surfaces of said emitter region segments is substantially rectangular in shape.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 11 wherein: the ratio of the total area of said exposed surfaces of said base region end and center portions to the exposed surface of said emitter region segments is not less than 1/3.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 13 wherein: said contact window is rectangularly elongated and has a length/width aspect ratio of not less than 20.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 14 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 11 wherein: said emitter region further includes at least one bridge portion connecting at least one pair of said emitter region segments disposed, respectively, proximate said opposing contact window sides, said bridge portion having an exposed surface interrupting said exposed surface of said center portion of said base region.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 16 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
166 words
In a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor wafer having a drift region of a first conductivity type and a major surface overlying said drift region; a gate electrode insulatively spaced from said major surface by an insulating region including at least one contact window exposing a portion of an underlying cell; said cell including a base region of a second conductivity type extending from said major surface into said drift region and an emitter region of said first conductivity type extending from said major surface into said base region and forming an emitter-base junction therewith; said contact window exposing adjacent base and emitter region surfaces on said major surface; an emitter electrode insulated from said gate electrode and disposed in ohmic contact with said base and emitter region surfaces exposed within said contact window; the improvement wherein: the ratio of the area of said base region surface to the area of said emitter region surface exposed within said contact window is not less than 1/3 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
166 words
In a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor wafer having a drift region of a first conductivity type and a major surface overlying said drift region; a gate electrode insulatively spaced from said major surface by an insulating region including at least one contact window exposing a portion of an underlying cell; said cell including a base region of a second conductivity type extending from said major surface into said drift region and an emitter region of said first conductivity type extending from said major surface into said base region and forming an emitter-base junction therewith; said contact window exposing adjacent base and emitter region surfaces on said major surface; an emitter electrode insulated from said gate electrode and disposed in ohmic contact with said base and emitter region surfaces exposed within said contact window; the improvement wherein: the ratio of the area of said base region surface to the area of said emitter region surface exposed within said contact window is not less than 1/3 .
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 18 wherein: said contact window is substantially rectangular in shape and has a length/width aspect ratio of not less than 20.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 18 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
129 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 19 wherein: said contact window includes a pair of transversely opposed ends and a pair of longitudinally opposed sides; said base region includes a respective end portion situated proximate each of said contact window ends, each of said end portions having an exposed surface disposed adjacent its proximate contact window end; said emitter region includes a respective side portion situated proximate each of said contact window sides, each said emitter region side portion having an exposed surface disposed contiguously with its proximate contact window side; and said base region further includes a center portion connecting said end portions and having an exposed surface connecting said exposed surfaces of said end portions and disposed intermediate said exposed surfaces of said emitter region side portions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 21 wherein: each of said exposed surfaces of said base region end portions is disposed coextensively with its adjacent contact window end.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement in accordance with Claim 22 wherein: said semiconductor device comprises an insulated gate transistor having a collector region of said second conductivity type disposed adjacent said drift region.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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