Europaisches Patentamt
(19)
J
| | | | | 1 1| | | | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | |
European Patent Office
Office europeen des brevets
(11)
EP
0 782
198
A3
E U R O P E A N PATENT A P P L I C A T I O N
(12)
(88) Date of publication A3:
17.12.1997 Bulletin 1997/51
(51) |nt. CI.6: H01 L 29/06, H01 L 2 9 / 4 2 3 ,
H01 1_ 29/41 7, H01 L 2 3 / 4 8 5
(43) Date of publication A2:
02.07.1997 Bulletin 1997/27
(21) Application number: 96120399.9
(22) Date of filing: 18.12.1996
• Case, Michael G.
Thousand Oaks, California 91 360 (US)
• Nguyen, Chanh N.
Newbury Park, California 92320 (US)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE ES GB IT
(30) Priority: 26.12.1995 US 578796
(71) Applicant:
HE HOLDINGS, INC. dba HUGHES
ELECTRONICS
Los Angeles, CA 90045-0066 (US)
(74) Representative:
Witte, Alexander, Dr.-lng. et al
Witte, Weller, Gahlert, Otten & Steil,
Patentanwalte,
Rotebuhlstrasse 121
701 78 Stuttgart (DE)
(72) Inventors:
• Hooper, William W.
Westlake Village, California 91362 (US)
(54)
High-voltage bipolar transistor utilizing field-terminated bond-pad electrodes
A high-voltage bipolar transistor (10") and a
(57)
fabrication method are disclosed that comprise a shield
electrode (22) (or field-termination electrode) located
between bond pads (12) and underlying semiconductor
material. The shield electrode (22) is sandwiched
between two isolating dielectric layers (21, 23). Highvoltage applied to the bond pad (12) establishes an
electric field between the bond pad (12) and the shield
electrode (22), preventing field penetration into and
FIG.
CO
<
CO
<7>
inversion of the underlying semiconductor material.
Using this overlapping field-termination structure, low
leakage current and high breakdown voltage is maintained in the transistor (10"). The present overlapping
field-termination structure provides an effective field termination underneath the bond pads (12), and because
of its overlapping design, provides for a more compact
transistor (10").
4.
14e
CM
CO
o
Q_
LU
Printed byXerox (UK) Business Services
2.15.4/3.4
EP0 782 198 A3
European Patent
Office
DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT
Citation of document with indication, where appropriate,
Category
of relevant passages
X
A
X
Application Number
EP 96 12 0399
EUROPEAN SEARCH REPORT
CLASSIFICATION OFTHE
APPLICATION (lnt.CI.6)
Relevant
to claim
FR 1 587 469 A (GENERAL ELECTRIC) 20 March 1 - 7 , 9 , 1 0 H01L29/06
H01L29/423
1970
* figure 1 *
3
H01L29/417
H01L23/485
1-4,7,9,
JS 5 109 266 A (KIDA TAKESHI ET AL) 28
10
Upril 1992
* figures 1,12 *
EP 0 450 320 A (TOKYO SHIBAURA ELECTRIC
CO) 9 October 1991
* figure 2 *
1,5,7
US 5 401 682 A (YANG SHENG-HSING) 28 March 2,9
1995
* figures 1,2G *
TECHNICALFIELDS
SEARCHED (lnt.CI.6)
H01L
The present search report has been drawn up for all claims
Date otcompletion ofthe search
Place ofsearch
10 October 1997
BERLIN
CATEGORYOF CITEDDOCUMENTS
X:particularly relevant if taken alone
Y: particularly relevant if combined with another
document of the same category
A:technological background
O: non-written disclosure
P: intermediate document
Juhl,
Examiner
A
T:theory or principle underlying the invention
E: earlier patent document, but published on, or
after the filing date
D: document cited in the application
L: document cited for other reasons
&: member of the same patent family, corresponding
document
2