KR-20260063002-A - NITRIDE-BASED SEMICONDUCTOR BIDIRECTIONAL SWITCHING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

KR20260063002AKR 20260063002 AKR20260063002 AKR 20260063002AKR-20260063002-A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a nitride-based bidirectional switching device having a substrate potential management capability. The device comprises a control node, a first power/load node, a second power/load node, and a main substrate, and includes a substrate potential management circuit configured to manage the potential of a nitride-based bidirectional transistor and the main substrate. By implementing the substrate potential management circuit, the substrate potential can be stabilized at the lower of the potentials of the first source/drain and the second source/drain of the bidirectional transistor, regardless of which direction the bidirectional switching device is operated. Thus, the bidirectional transistor can be operated at a stable substrate potential to conduct current in both directions.

Inventors

자오 치위에
저우 춘화
리 마올린
가오 우하오
양 차오
양 관센
쳉 샤펑

Assignees

이노사이언스 (쑤저우) 테크놀로지 컴퍼니 리미티드

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20210525

Claims (20)

As a nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability, having a control node, a first power/load node, a second power/load node and a main board, A nitride-based bidirectional transistor having a main gate terminal connected to the control node, a first source/drain terminal connected to the first power/load node, a second source/drain terminal connected to the second power/load node, and a main substrate terminal connected to the main substrate; and It includes a substrate potential management circuit configured to manage the potential of the main substrate, and the substrate potential management circuit comprises: A first potential stabilization element having a first conductive terminal electrically connected to the first power/load node and a second conductive terminal electrically connected to the main board; and It includes a second potential stabilization element having a first conductive terminal electrically connected to the main board and a second conductive terminal electrically connected to the control node; and When a high-level voltage is applied to the control node, the first potential stabilization element has a first resistance lower than the second resistance of the second potential stabilization element, so that the potential of the main board is substantially the same as the lower potential among the potentials of the first and second power/load nodes. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 1, The first potential stabilization element is a diode formed by a rectifier transistor in which both the gate terminal and the source terminal are connected to the main substrate and the drain terminal is connected to the first power/load node; and The second potential stabilization element is a resistor having a first terminal connected to the main board and a second terminal connected to the control node. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 2, The above nitride-based bidirectional transistor, the above rectifier transistor, and the above resistor are integrated into an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and the IC chip is, Substrate; A first nitride-based semiconductor layer disposed on the above substrate; A second nitride-based semiconductor layer disposed on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer and having a bandgap larger than the bandgap of the first nitride-based semiconductor layer; One or more gate structures disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer Each gate structure includes a gate semiconductor layer and a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate semiconductor layer. ; A first passivation layer disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and covering the gate metal layer; One or more source/drain (S/D) electrodes disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and penetrating the first passivation layer; A second passivation layer disposed on the first passivation layer and covering the S/D electrodes; One or more first conductive vias disposed within the second passivation layer; A first conductive layer disposed on the second passivation layer and patterned to form one or more first conductive traces; A third passivation layer disposed on the first conductive layer and covering the one or more conductive traces; One or more second conductive vias disposed within the third passivation layer; A second conductive layer disposed on the third passivation layer and patterned to form one or more second conductive traces; and At least one through gallium via extending longitudinally from the second conductive layer and penetrating into the substrate; A protective layer disposed over the second conductive layer and having one or more openings for exposing one or more conductive pads—the one or more conductive pads comprising: a control pad configured to act as the control node; a first power/load pad configured to act as the first power/load node; and a second power/load pad configured to act as the second power/load node—; A resistor element comprising a first end electrically connected to the substrate to act as the first terminal of the resistor and a second end electrically connected to the control pad to act as the second terminal of the resistor; The above one or more S/D electrodes are, At least one first S/D electrode electrically connected to the first power/load pad to act as the first source/drain terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor and the drain terminal of the rectifier transistor; At least one second S/D electrode electrically connected to the second power/load pad to act as a second source/drain terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; It includes at least one third S/D electrode electrically connected to the substrate to act as a source terminal of the rectifier transistor; and The above one or more gate structures are, At least one first gate structure electrically connected to the control pad to act as the main gate terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; and A structure comprising at least one second gate structure electrically connected to the substrate to act as the gate terminal of the rectifier transistor, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In paragraph 3, The above resistance element is disposed in a 2DEG (two-dimensional electron gas) region adjacent to the heterojunction interface between the first nitride-based semiconductor layer and the second nitride-based semiconductor layer, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance element is disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and is made of the same materials as the gate structures, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance element is disposed on the first passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the S/D electrodes, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Paragraph 3, A third conductive layer further comprising a second passivation layer disposed within the second passivation layer and patterned to form the resistance element, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance element is disposed on the second passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the first conductive traces, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance element is disposed on the third passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the second conductive traces, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 1, The first potential stabilization element is a resistor having a first terminal connected to the first power/load node and a second terminal connected to the main board; The second potential stabilization element is a diode formed by the rectifier transistor, wherein both the gate terminal and the source terminal are connected to the main substrate and the drain terminal is connected to the control node. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 10, The above nitride-based bidirectional transistor, the above resistor, and the above rectifier transistor are integrated into an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and the IC chip is, Substrate; A first nitride-based semiconductor layer disposed on the above substrate; A second nitride-based semiconductor layer disposed on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer and having a bandgap larger than the bandgap of the first nitride-based semiconductor layer; One or more gate structures disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer Each gate structure includes a gate semiconductor layer and a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate semiconductor layer. ; A first passivation layer disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and covering the gate metal layer; One or more source/drain (S/D) electrodes disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and penetrating the first passivation layer; A second passivation layer disposed on the first passivation layer and covering the S/D electrodes; One or more first conductive vias disposed within the second passivation layer; A first conductive layer disposed on the second passivation layer and patterned to form one or more first conductive traces; A third passivation layer disposed on the first conductive layer and covering the one or more conductive traces; One or more second conductive vias disposed within the third passivation layer; A second conductive layer disposed on the third passivation layer and patterned to form one or more second conductive traces; At least one TGV (through gallium via) extending longitudinally from the second conductive layer and penetrating into the substrate; A protective layer disposed on the second conductive layer and having one or more openings for exposing one or more conductive pads The above one or more conductive pads include a control pad configured to act as the control node; a first power/load pad configured to act as the first power/load node; and a second power/load pad configured to act as the second power/load node. ; and A resistor element comprising a first end electrically connected to the first power/load pad to act as the first terminal of the resistor and a second end electrically connected to the substrate to act as the second terminal of the resistor; The above one or more S/D electrodes are, At least one first S/D electrode electrically connected to the first power/load pad to act as the first source/drain terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one second S/D electrode electrically connected to the second power/load pad to act as the second source/drain terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one third S/D electrode electrically connected to the substrate to act as the source terminal of the rectifier transistor; It includes at least one fourth S/D electrode electrically connected to the control pad to act as the drain terminal of the rectifier transistor; The above one or more gate structures are, At least one first gate structure electrically connected to the control pad to act as the main gate terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; and A structure comprising at least one second gate structure electrically connected to the substrate to act as the gate terminal of the rectifier transistor, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, The above resistance element is disposed at the heterojunction interface between the first nitride-based semiconductor layer and the second nitride-based semiconductor layer, Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, The above resistance element is disposed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and is made of the same materials as the gate structures. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, The above resistance element is disposed on the first passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the S/D electrodes. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, A third conductive layer disposed within the second passivation layer and patterned to form the resistance element, further comprising Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, The above resistance element is disposed on the second passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the first conductive traces. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
In Article 11, The above resistance element is disposed on the third passivation layer and is made of the same materials as the second conductive traces. Nitride-based bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability.
A method for manufacturing a nitride-based bidirectional switching device, A step of forming a first nitride-based semiconductor layer on a substrate; A step of forming a second nitride-based semiconductor layer on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer; A step of drawing a gate semiconductor layer on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer and placing a gate electrode layer on the gate semiconductor layer, and patterning the gate semiconductor layer and the gate electrode layer to form one or more gate structures; A step of forming a first passivation layer on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer to cover the gate structures; A step of forming one or more openings in the first passivation layer to expose some regions of the second nitride-based semiconductor layer, disposing of an S/D electrode layer to cover the exposed regions of the first passivation layer and the second nitride-based semiconductor layer, and patterning the S/D electrode layer to form one or more S/D electrodes that penetrate the first passivation layer and contact the second nitride-based semiconductor layer; A step of forming a second passivation layer on the first passivation layer to cover the S/D electrodes; A step of forming one or more first conductive vias within the second passivation layer; A step of forming a first conductive layer on the second passivation layer and patterning the first conductive layer to form one or more first patterned conductive traces; A step of forming a third passivation layer on the first conductive layer to cover one or more of the above conductive traces; A step of forming one or more second conductive vias within the third passivation layer; A step of forming a second conductive layer on the third passivation layer and patterning the second conductive layer to form one or more second patterned conductive traces; A step of forming at least one through gallium via (TGV) extending longitudinally from the first conductive layer and penetrating into the substrate; A step of forming a protective layer on the second conductive layer and patterning the protective layer to form one or more openings for exposing one or more conductive pads including a control pad, a first power/load pad, a second power/load pad, and a reference pad; and A step of forming one or more resistance elements by patterning a 2DEG region adjacent to a heterojunction interface between the first nitride-based semiconductor layer and the second nitride-based semiconductor layer; A method comprising the step of configuring a nitride-based bidirectional transistor, a rectifier transistor, and a resistor within the nitride-based bidirectional switching device. Method for manufacturing a nitride-based bidirectional switching device.
In Article 18, At least one first S/D electrode is electrically connected to the first power/load pad to form the first S/D terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor and the drain terminal of the rectifier transistor; At least one second S/D electrode is electrically connected to the second power/load pad to form a second S/D terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one third S/D electrode is electrically connected to the substrate to form the source terminal of the rectifier transistor; At least one first gate structure is electrically connected to the control pad to form the main gate terminal of the above-mentioned nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one second gate structure is electrically connected to the substrate to form the gate terminal of the rectifier transistor; A step of connecting a first end of a resistor element to the substrate to form a first terminal of the resistor; and The method further comprises the step of configuring the nitride-based bidirectional transistor, the rectifier transistor, and the resistor by connecting the second end of the resistor element to the control pad to form the second terminal of the resistor. Method for manufacturing a nitride-based bidirectional switching device.
In Article 18, At least one first S/D electrode is electrically connected to the first power/load pad to form the first S/D terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one second S/D electrode is electrically connected to the second power/load pad to form a second S/D terminal of the nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one third S/D electrode is electrically connected to the substrate to form the source terminal of the rectifier transistor; At least one fourth S/D electrode is electrically connected to the control pad to form the drain terminal of the rectifier transistor; At least one first gate structure is electrically connected to the control pad to form the main gate terminal of the above-mentioned nitride-based bidirectional transistor; At least one second gate structure is electrically connected to the substrate to form the gate terminal of the rectifier transistor; Electrically connecting the first end of a resistor element to the first power/load pad to form the first terminal of the resistor; The method further comprises the step of configuring the nitride-based bidirectional transistor, the rectifier transistor, and the resistor by electrically connecting the second end of the resistor element to the substrate to form the second terminal of the resistor. Method for manufacturing a nitride-based bidirectional switching device.

Description

Nitride-based Semiconductor Bidirectional Switching Device and Method for Manufacturing the Same The present invention generally relates to a nitride-based semiconductor bidirectional switching device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a nitride-based semiconductor bidirectional switching device having a substrate potential management capability. GaN-based devices have been widely used for high-frequency electrical energy conversion systems due to their low power losses and fast switching transitions. Compared to silicon MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors), GaN HEMTs (high-electron-mobility transistors) offer significantly better performance figures and more promising results for high-power and high-frequency applications. With appropriate gate structure design, a GaN HEMT device can be configured equivalently to two transistors coupled in series in opposite directions so that it can be used as a bidirectional transistor (Qm). Compared to conventional silicon-based configurations requiring two Si-based transistors, the GaN-based bidirectional transistor (Qm) can have a simpler driving circuit, lower power consumption, and a more compact size. When the substrate of a GaN HEMT device floats, the substrate accumulates charge during the device's switching process, which affects the device's switching performance and degrades its long-term reliability. In unidirectional GaN HEMT devices, to avoid the impact of substrate floating on device performance and reliability, it is generally necessary to maintain the substrate and the device's source at the same potential. In bidirectional GaN HEMT devices, since the device's source and drain switch according to the circuit's operating state, it is impossible to electrically connect the substrate directly to the source or drain terminals. Therefore, for bidirectional GaN HEMT devices, it is necessary to control the substrate potential independently according to the device's operating state so that the device's substrate potential is always maintained at the device's lowest potential. In low-side applications, the lowest potential of the bidirectional device is system ground, and the substrate potential of the bidirectional GaN HEMT device can be directly grounded. However, in high-side applications, since the lowest potential of bidirectional device applications may not be system ground, the substrate potential of the bidirectional GaN HEMT device must be controlled independently to become the lowest potential of the device. Aspects of the present disclosure are easily understood from the following detailed description when read together with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that various features may not be drawn to actual scale. That is, the dimensions of various features may be increased or decreased at will for clarity of discussion. Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a circuit diagram of a bidirectional switching device according to some embodiments based on the circuit block diagram of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3a to 3d illustrate the operation mechanism of the bidirectional switching device of FIG. 2. FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5a through 5d illustrate the structure of a bidirectional switching device based on the circuit diagram of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a partial layout of the bidirectional switching device. FIGS. 5a through 5d are cross-sectional views taken along the lines A-A', B-B', CC', and D-D' of FIG. 4, respectively. FIGS. 6a through 6k illustrate different stages of a method for manufacturing a bidirectional switching device according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a circuit block diagram of a bidirectional switching device having substrate potential management capability according to other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional switching device according to some embodiments based on the circuit block diagram of FIG. 7. FIGS. 9, FIGS. 10a, and FIGS. 10b illustrate the structure of a bidirectional switching device according to an embodiment based on the circuit diagram of FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a partial layout of the bidirectional switching device. FIGS. 10a and FIGS. 10b are cross-sectional views taken along the lines DD' and E-E' of FIG. 9, respectively. FIGS. 11, FIGS. 12a, and FIGS. 12b illustrate the structure of a bidirectional switching device according to another embodiment based on the circuit diagram of FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a partial layout of the bidirectional switching device. FIGS. 12a and FIGS. 12b are cross-sectional views taken along the lines DD' and E-E' of FIG. 11, respectively. FIGS. 13, FIGS. 14a, and FIGS. 14b illustrate the structure of a bidirectional switching device according t