Lateral semiconductor component with a drift zone having at least one field electrode

Abstract

A semiconductor component is described. In one embodiment, the semiconductor component includes a semiconductor body with a first side and a second side. A drift zone is provided, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first and a second doped terminal zone. At least one field electrode is provided, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body.

1 . (canceled)  
   
   
       46 . A semiconductor component comprising: 
 a semiconductor body including a first side and a second side,    a drift zone, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first terminal zone and a second terminal zone; and    at least one field electrode, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body.    
   
   
       47 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the at least one field electrode is formed in plate-type fashion and extends in its longitudinal direction along the drift zone between the first terminal zone and the second terminal zone.  
   
   
       48 . The semiconductor component of  claim 47 , comprising wherein the plate-type field electrode tapers in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body proceeding from the first side.  
   
   
       49 . The semiconductor component of  claim 47 , comprising wherein the thickness of an insulation layer surrounding the at least one field plate increases or decreases in the first lateral direction.  
   
   
       50 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the at least one field electrode is coupled to one of the terminal zones.  
   
   
       51 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46  comprising wherein a plurality of field electrodes arranged at a distance from one another in the first lateral direction are arranged in the drift zone between the first terminal zone and the second terminal zone.  
   
   
       52 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the field electrodes arranged at a distance from one another in the first lateral direction are coupled to different potential sources.  
   
   
       53 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising the at least one field plate is coupled to a semiconductor zone arranged in floating fashion in the drift zone, the semiconductor zone being doped by a same conduction type as the drift zone, but more heavily relative to the drift zone.  
   
   
       54 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the doping of the drift zone varies in the vertical direction of the component.  
   
   
       55 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the effective doping of the drift zone is locally increased or reduced at least one position.  
   
   
       56 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , comprising wherein the second terminal zone extends into the semiconductor body in the vertical direction and makes contact with a semiconductor zone of the same conduction type in the region of the second side of the semiconductor body.  
   
   
       57 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , formed as a diode, the first and second terminal zones being doped complementarily with respect to one another.  
   
   
       58 . The semiconductor component of  claim 46 , wherein the semiconductor component comprises a transistor.  
   
   
       59 . A semiconductor component comprising: 
 a semiconductor body including a first side and a second side,    a drift zone, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first terminal zone and a second terminal zone; and    at least one field electrode, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body, and wherein the at least one field electrode is coupled to a semiconductor zone doped complementarily with respect to the drift zone, the semiconductor zone being arranged in floating fashion in the drift zone.    
   
   
       60 . The semiconductor component of  claim 59 , comprising wherein at least two field plates are arranged successively in the first lateral direction, the field plates being coupled to different semiconductor zones which are arranged in floating fashion in the drift zone and are doped complementarily with respect to the drift zone.  
   
   
       61 . The semiconductor component of  claim 59 , comprising wherein the semiconductor zone doped complementarily with respect to the drift zone is situated at a level of the at least one field electrode in the first lateral direction.  
   
   
       62 . The semiconductor component of  claim 59 , comprising: 
 a discharge structure connected to the field electrode or the semiconductor zone, arranged in floating fashion.    
   
   
       63 . The semiconductor component of  claim 62 , wherein the discharge structure comprises a semiconductor zone doped more weakly than the floating semiconductor zones and of the same conduction type, which connects at least one of the floating semiconductor zones to a defined potential when the component is driven a conducting mode.  
   
   
       64 . The semiconductor component  claim 63 , wherein the defined potential is the potential of the first terminal zone.  
   
   
       65 . The semiconductor component of  claim 63 , comprising wherein a semiconductor zone doped complementarily with respect to the first terminal zone and the drift zone is present between the first terminal zone and the drift zone, the semiconductor zone of the discharge structure being connected to the semiconductor zone.  
   
   
       66 . The semiconductor component of  claim 63 , wherein the first terminal zone is doped complementarily with respect to the drift zone, the semiconductor zone of the discharge structure being connected to the first terminal zone.  
   
   
       67 . The semiconductor component of  claim 63 , wherein the semiconductor zone of the discharge structure connects a plurality of semiconductor zones arranged in floating fashion.  
   
   
       68 . The semiconductor component of  claim 67 , wherein the semiconductor zone of the discharge structure connects the semiconductor zones arranged successively in the first lateral direction.  
   
   
       69 . The semiconductor component of  claim 62 , comprising wherein the discharge structure has at least one electrode arranged in a manner insulated from the semiconductor body, which electrode is connected to one of the floating semiconductor zones and reaches in the first lateral direction from one floating semiconductor zone as far as an adjacent floating semiconductor zone or as far as a semiconductor zone at the potential of the first terminal zone.  
   
   
       70 . The semiconductor component of  claim 62 , comprising wherein the drift zone is above a semiconductor zone doped complementarily with respect to the drift zone, and in which the discharge structure comprises an electrically conductive connection between the at least one field plate and the complementary semiconductor zone.  
   
   
       71 . The semiconductor component of  claim 70 , comprising wherein the at least one field plate adjoins the complementary semiconductor zone in sections at a side facing the complementary semiconductor zone, in order to produce an electrically conductive connection to the complementary semiconductor zone.  
   
   
       72 . The semiconductor component of  claim 71 , comprising wherein the complementary semiconductor zone is doped more highly in the region of the electrically conductive connection than in remaining sections.  
   
   
       73 . A semiconductor component comprising: 
 a semiconductor body including a first side and a second side,    a drift zone, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first terminal zone and a second terminal zone; and    at least one field electrode, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body, wherein at least two field electrodes are present which are arranged at a distance from one another in a second lateral direction running essentially perpendicular to the first lateral direction.    
   
   
       74 . The semiconductor component of  claim 73 , comprising wherein the distance between the at least two field electrodes that are arranged adjacent is reduced locally.  
   
   
       75 . The semiconductor component of  claim 74 , comprising wherein the at least two field electrodes are formed in plate-type fashion, at least one of the field electrodes being arranged obliquely relative to the first lateral direction in order to obtain a distance between the at least two adjacent field plates that varies in the first lateral direction.  
   
   
       76 . The semiconductor component of  claim 74 , comprising wherein at least one of the adjacent field electrodes has at least one projection extending in the second lateral direction.  
   
   
       77 . A semiconductor component comprising: 
 a semiconductor body including a first side and a second side,    a drift zone, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first terminal zone and a second terminal zone; and    at least one field electrode, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body, and    the semiconductor component formed as a field-effect transistor, in which    the first terminal zone is of the same conduction type as the drift zone;    a complementarily doped channel zone is arranged between the first terminal zone and the drift zone; and    a drive electrode insulated from the semiconductor body is present adjacent to the channel zone.    
   
   
       78 . The semiconductor component of  claim 77 , in which the drive electrode is arranged above the first side of the semiconductor body.  
   
   
       79 . The semiconductor component of  claim 77 , in which the drive electrode extends into the semiconductor body in the vertical direction.  
   
   
       80 . The semiconductor component of  claim 79 , in which the at least one field electrode directly adjoins the drive electrode.  
   
   
       81 . A semiconductor component comprising: 
 a semiconductor body including a first side and a second side,    a drift zone, which is arranged in the semiconductor body below the first side and extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body between a first terminal zone and a second terminal zone; and    at least one field electrode, which is arranged in the drift zone, extends into the drift zone proceeding from the first side and is configured in a manner electrically insulated from the semiconductor body, and    in which a junction between at least one of the first and second terminal zones and the drift zone is configured in angled fashion in one section, in which the drift zone has at least one first drift zone section, which is arranged between parallel-running sections of the first and second terminal zones and in which at least one field electrode is arranged, and at least one second drift zone section, which is arranged between parallel-running sections of the first and second terminal zones and in which at least one field electrode is arranged, in which a corner region is formed in the region of the angled course and between the first and second drift zone sections, a structure that increases the dielectric strength in the corner region being present in the corner region.    
   
   
       82 . The semiconductor component of  claim 81 , comprising wherein the structure has a trench arranged adjacent to the first and second drift zone sections.  
   
   
       83 . The semiconductor component of  claim 82 , comprising wherein the trench extends adjacent to the first and second drift zone sections at least approximately over the entire length of the drift zone sections.  
   
   
       84 . The semiconductor component of  claim 82 , comprising wherein the trench is covered by a dielectric layer at least in sections.  
   
   
       85 . The semiconductor component  claim 82 , comprising wherein a distance between the trench and a field electrode of the first or second drift zone section is less than or equal to half the distance between two field electrodes of the first or second drift zone section which are essentially arranged parallel.  
   
   
       86 . The semiconductor component of  claim 81 , comprising wherein at least one field electrode is arranged in the corner region, the field electrode being insulated from the semiconductor body by an insulation layer.  
   
   
       87 . The semiconductor component of  claim 86 , comprising wherein the at least one field electrode is configured in the shape of a circle arc and is configured perpendicular to the at least one field electrode in the first and second drift zone sections.  
   
   
       88 . The semiconductor component of  claim 87 , wherein a distance between two field electrodes in the corner region is less than or substantially equal to a distance between two field electrodes of the first and second drift zone sections which run parallel.  
   
   
       89 . The semiconductor component of  claim 87 , comprising wherein the at least one field electrode of the corner region is connected to the at least one field electrode of one of the drift zone sections.  
   
   
       90 . The semiconductor component of  claim 86 , comprising wherein the at least one field electrode is formed essentially in the manner of an annulus segment in a plan view of the semiconductor body in the vertical direction.  
   
   
       91 . The semiconductor component of  claim 86 , comprising wherein a plurality of field electrodes are present which are formed essentially in square fashion in a plan view of the semiconductor body in the vertical direction.