Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
362 words
A process for forming a Schottky Barrier diode having controlled characteristics and a lower series resistance, comprising the steps of: forming a first and a second openings through an oxide layer having a first thickness, on a semiconductor substrate, said first opening being over a central region of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a first concentration, with said first opening having inclined sidewalls over an annular region of said substrate surrounding said central region, said second opening being separated by a length in an outside region from said first opening; ion implanting through said oxide layer and into said substrate, forming a layer of said first conductivity type with a first portion in said central region having a substantially Gaussian distribution of its concentration with respect to the depth of implantation in the substrate, with an upper end of said distribution intersecting the surface of said substrate in said central region at a second concentration of between two and 10 times said first concentration of said substrate, and having a peak concentration at a first distance from said surface of said substrate in said central region, said second concentration controlling the barrier height for the Schottky Barrier diode, and simultaneously forming said layer with a second portion in said outside region beneath said oxide layer gradually rising toward said substrate surface and being substantially parallel with said inclined sidewall; said first distance being greater than said first thickness of said insulator layer so that said distribution intersects said substrate surface at said outside region outside of said annular region at a third concentration which is at least 10 times greater than said second concentration, said third concentration controlling the lifetime of minority carriers in said outside region and reducing series resistance between said first and second openings; forming a Schottky Barrier contact in said first opening as a rectifying junction with said semiconductor substrate in said central region; forming an ohmic contact in said second opening, making electrical contact with said ion-implanted layer in said outside region; whereby a self-isolated Schottky Barrier diode is formed with controlled characteristics, having a lower series resistance connection to said ohmic contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
362 words
A process for forming a Schottky Barrier diode having controlled characteristics and a lower series resistance, comprising the steps of: forming a first and a second openings through an oxide layer having a first thickness, on a semiconductor substrate, said first opening being over a central region of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a first concentration, with said first opening having inclined sidewalls over an annular region of said substrate surrounding said central region, said second opening being separated by a length in an outside region from said first opening; ion implanting through said oxide layer and into said substrate, forming a layer of said first conductivity type with a first portion in said central region having a substantially Gaussian distribution of its concentration with respect to the depth of implantation in the substrate, with an upper end of said distribution intersecting the surface of said substrate in said central region at a second concentration of between two and 10 times said first concentration of said substrate, and having a peak concentration at a first distance from said surface of said substrate in said central region, said second concentration controlling the barrier height for the Schottky Barrier diode, and simultaneously forming said layer with a second portion in said outside region beneath said oxide layer gradually rising toward said substrate surface and being substantially parallel with said inclined sidewall; said first distance being greater than said first thickness of said insulator layer so that said distribution intersects said substrate surface at said outside region outside of said annular region at a third concentration which is at least 10 times greater than said second concentration, said third concentration controlling the lifetime of minority carriers in said outside region and reducing series resistance between said first and second openings; forming a Schottky Barrier contact in said first opening as a rectifying junction with said semiconductor substrate in said central region; forming an ohmic contact in said second opening, making electrical contact with said ion-implanted layer in said outside region; whereby a self-isolated Schottky Barrier diode is formed with controlled characteristics, having a lower series resistance connection to said ohmic contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 1 which further comprises the step of: forming a fourth concentration of said first conductivity type dopant in said substrate through said second opening prior to said ion implantation step, said fourth concentration being greater than said third concentration.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said Schottky Barrier diode is a Schottky Barrier Zener diode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 1, which further comprises the step of: forming an ion-implantation mask of photoresist material on the surface of said insulated layer, prior to the step of ion implantation, so as to define the extent of said outside region.