CN220065701U - Semiconductor device apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a semiconductor device apparatus. The semiconductor device arrangement comprises a breakdown region structure of a breakdown region of the semiconductor device. The breakdown region structure includes a stem, one or more protrusions configured to extend outwardly from the stem, one or more inlets configured to be formed using the one or more protrusions. A breakdown region structure including a stem, a protrusion, and an entrance is positioned at a predetermined location within a breakdown region of the semiconductor device. The apparatus also includes a fill material configured to fill the breakdown region of the semiconductor device.

Description

Semiconductor device apparatus

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of solid state current control devices, and in particular, to thyristor devices, and more particularly, to thyristor devices having improved breakdown regions.

Background

Modern electronic devices rely on semiconductor device diodes to perform various functions including, for example, conducting current in all directions. Such devices are fabricated using n-type and p-type semiconductor materials and may include thyristor semiconductor devices, such as silicon controlled rectifiers (silicon controlled rectifier, SCR), TRIAC semiconductor devices, and/or any other type of device. Such devices may be used in systems where high power and/or high voltage control is required. During the fabrication of such devices, a semiconductor substrate having a first type of conductivity is exposed to implantation, diffusion or deposition of a second type of species, including epitaxial growth of a layer having the second type of species. After providing the second type of material, an anneal may be performed to diffuse and activate the second conductivity type of material. However, existing semiconductor devices include single or multiple breakdown regions, but provide inconsistent and/or unbalanced current switching in different areas of these regions, thereby providing reduced performance in response to power surges.

Disclosure of Invention

The following summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to a semiconductor device apparatus. The apparatus may include a breakdown region structure of a breakdown region of the semiconductor device. The breakdown region structure may include a stem, one or more protrusions configured to extend outwardly from the stem, one or more inlets configured to be formed using the one or more protrusions. A breakdown region structure including a stem, a protrusion, and an entrance may be positioned at a predetermined location within a breakdown region of a semiconductor device. The apparatus may further include a fill material configured to fill the breakdown region of the semiconductor device.

In some embodiments, the present subject matter may include one or more of the following optional features. One or more protrusions may be configured to extend outwardly from the backbone. At least one of the one or more protrusions may be configured to extend at a predetermined angle relative to the backbone. At least one of the one or more protrusions may be configured to extend orthogonally relative to the backbone.

In some embodiments, one or more protrusions may be configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone. At least two of the one or more protrusions may be configured to be positioned opposite one another relative to the backbone. The one or more protrusions may be configured to be positioned using a predetermined sequence relative to the backbone.

In some embodiments, the one or more protrusions may be configured to have at least one of the following that are identical: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof. In some alternative embodiments, one or more protrusions may be configured to have different at least one of the following: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more protrusions may be configured to be doped using at least one of: a predetermined type of impurity and a predetermined concentration of impurity. At least one of the one or more protrusions may be configured to be doped using at least one of: n-type impurities, p-type impurities, and any combination thereof. Further, at least one of doping and concentration of impurities of the one or more protrusions may be configured to be uniform over the one or more protrusions. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the doping and concentration of impurities of the one or more protrusions may be configured to be non-uniform across the one or more protrusions.

In some embodiments, each of the one or more inlets may be configured to be formed using a pair of the one or more protrusions and a portion of the backbone. One or more portals may be configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone. In some embodiments, at least two of the one or more inlets may be configured to be positioned opposite each other relative to the backbone. Further, one or more portals may be configured to be positioned using a predetermined order relative to the backbone.

In some embodiments, one or more of the inlets may be configured to have at least one of the following that are identical: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the inlets may be configured to have different at least one of: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more inlets may be configured to be doped using at least one of: a predetermined type of impurity and a predetermined concentration of impurity. At least one of the one or more inlets may be configured to be doped using at least one of: n-type impurities, p-type impurities, and any combination thereof. Further, at least one of doping and concentration of impurities of the one or more inlets may be configured to be uniform across the one or more inlets. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the doping and concentration of impurities of the one or more inlets may be configured to be non-uniform across the one or more inlets.

In some embodiments, the filler material may be configured to have a first concentration and/or type of impurity, and at least one of the stem, the one or more protrusions, and the one or more inlets may be configured to have a second concentration and/or type of impurity.

In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to semiconductor devices. The semiconductor device may include a breakdown region structure of a breakdown region of the semiconductor device. The breakdown region structure may include a stem, one or more protrusions configured to extend outwardly from the stem, one or more inlets configured to be formed using the one or more protrusions. A breakdown region structure including a stem, a protrusion, and an entrance may be positioned at a predetermined location within a breakdown region of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may further include a fill material configured to fill the breakdown region of the semiconductor device. The filler material may be configured to have a first concentration and/or type of impurity and at least one of the stem, the one or more protrusions, and the one or more inlets is configured to have a second concentration and/or type of impurity.

In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method may include providing a backbone of a breakdown region structure of a breakdown region of a semiconductor device, the breakdown region structure being formed by forming one or more protrusions and forming one or more inlets; a breakdown region structure including a stem, a protrusion, and an inlet is positioned at a predetermined location within a breakdown region of a semiconductor device, and the breakdown region is filled with a fill material, wherein the fill material is configured to have a first concentration and/or type of impurity, and at least one of the stem, the one or more protrusions, and the one or more inlets is configured to have a second concentration and/or type of impurity.

The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings of which there are shown,

fig. 1a shows a top view of an exemplary breakdown region of a semiconductor device;

fig. 1b shows a top view of another exemplary breakdown region of a semiconductor device;

fig. 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary breakdown region of a semiconductor device in accordance with some embodiments of the present subject matter; and

fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary process according to some embodiments of the present subject matter.

The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are merely representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the disclosure. The drawings are intended to depict exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements.

Moreover, some elements of some of the figures may be omitted and/or not shown to scale for clarity of illustration. The cross-sectional view may take the form of a "slice" and/or "near-sighted" cross-sectional view, with some background lines visible in the "true" cross-sectional view omitted for clarity of illustration. Moreover, some reference numerals may be omitted from some of the figures for clarity.

Detailed Description

Various methods in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of systems and methods are shown. The device, system or systems, component or components, etc. may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present subject matter to those skilled in the art.

To address these and potentially other drawbacks of currently available solutions, one or more embodiments of the present subject matter relate to methods, systems, articles of manufacture, and the like, and which may provide solid state current control devices, and in particular thyristor devices, among other possible advantages, to thyristor devices with improved breakdown region.

A transient voltage suppressor (transient voltage suppressor, TVS) semiconductor device may be used to protect electronic components from transient voltages, overvoltages, and the like. A TVS chip is generally used as a core component of a TVS semiconductor device. It is understood that any other type of semiconductor chip and/or device may be used. As described above, such TVS devices may be used to prevent voltage transients that may be detrimental to the operation of various electronic components.

Voltage transients are defined as short surges of electrical energy and are the result of sudden releases of previously stored energy and/or induction by other means such as, for example, heavy inductive loads, lightning, etc. Voltage transients may be classified as predictable or repeatable transients and random transients. In electrical or electronic circuits, such energy may be released in a predictable manner via controlled switching action, or randomly introduced into the circuit from an external source. Repeatable transients are often caused by operation of the motor, generator and/or switching of reactive circuit components. Random transients, on the other hand, are typically caused by electrostatic discharge (electrostatic discharge, ESD) and lightning, which often occur unpredictably.

ESD is characterized by very fast rise times and very high peak voltages and currents, which can be the result of a positive and negative charge imbalance between objects. Daily activity generated ESD can exceed the vulnerability threshold of standard semiconductor technology. In the case of lightning, even though a direct lightning strike is damaging, lightning induced voltage transients are not the result of a direct lightning strike. When a lightning strike occurs, the event generates a magnetic field, which in turn can induce a large amplitude voltage transient in nearby cables. For example, cloud-to-cloud lightning strikes can affect not only aerial cables, but also buried cables. Even lightning strikes 1 mile (1.6 km) can generate a voltage of 50 volts in the cable. In a cloud-to-ground lightning, the impact of voltage transients generation is significantly greater.

A current control device, such as, for example, a thyristor, refers to a solid state semiconductor device having four layers of alternating p-type and n-type materials. In some cases, thyristors are used for bistable switches in high power applications, which are configured to conduct current when the gate of the thyristor receives a current trigger and continue to conduct until the voltage on the device is reverse biased, or until the voltage is no longer applied. Thyristors typically have a two-wire and three-wire configuration. In a two-wire configuration, when the potential difference between the anode and cathode terminals is sufficiently large (i.e., equal to the breakdown voltage), the current is conducted. In a three-wire configuration, a smaller current on the thyristor gate terminal controls the current between the anode and cathode (larger current).

The silicon controlled rectifier (silicon controlled rectifier, SCR) includes four layers, provides current control, and may be referred to as one type of thyristor. Some SCR's are used in systems that require control of high power and/or high voltage. For example, SCR may be used in medium to high voltage alternating current (alternating current, AC) power control systems (e.g., power regulators, motor controllers, etc.). Further, SCR may be used to rectify high power AC signals in high voltage Direct Current (DC) power transmission. Welding and other similar processes rely on SCR for current control. SCR can also be used as a switch.

Unlike SCR, TRIAC is a type of thyristor that allows bi-directional flow of current (e.g., anode-to-cathode and cathode-to-anode). The TRIAC may be triggered by applying a positive or negative voltage to the gate terminal of the TRIAC and may be able to continue to conduct current even if current on the gate terminal is no longer present until the main current drops below the holding current.

A typical semiconductor device may include one or more p-type layers, one or more n-type layers, and one or more p-n junctions. In the unbiased state, the n-type layer may include a majority of electrons and minority charge carrier holes, while the p-type layer may include a majority of charge carrier holes and minority electrons. Free electrons from the one or more n-type layers may diffuse into the one or more p-type layers, creating immovable positive ions in the one or more n-type layers and immovable negative ions in the one or more p-type layers. The non-mobile positive and negative ions from both sides can concentrate at the p-n junction, which can also be referred to as the depletion region. An electrostatic field can be generated at the p-n junction, which prevents electrons from migrating further to the junction.

The semiconductor device may become forward biased when the p-type layer of the semiconductor device is coupled to the positive terminal of the cell and the n-type layer 104 is coupled to the negative terminal of the cell. This allows current to flow from the cell through the semiconductor device, resulting in migration of electrons from the n-type layer to the p-type layer. This causes current to flow (or "drift") through the semiconductor device. In this case, since most charge carriers are electrons, the current in the n-type layer is an electron current. Furthermore, since most of the charge carriers in the p-type layer are holes, these charge carriers are repelled by the positive terminal of the cell forcing them to migrate across the p-n junction toward the negative terminal. This narrows the p-n junction.

In a reverse bias state, the p-type layer can be coupled to the negative terminal of the battery and the n-type layer can be coupled to the positive terminal of the battery. This prevents current (other than reverse saturation current) from flowing from the cell through the semiconductor device, causing it to become reverse biased, and the p-n junction or depletion layer becomes large, increasing the reverse bias needed to overcome this region. Small charge carriers (e.g., thermally generated electrons/holes in p-type and n-type layers) can flow through the p-n junction and are commonly referred to as saturation current. However, an uncontrolled increase in reverse bias across the semiconductor device will damage the depletion region and damage the semiconductor device.

Fig. 1a shows a top view of an exemplary breakdown region 101 of a semiconductor device. The breakdown region 101 of the semiconductor device may include a first region 102 and a second region 104. As shown in fig. 1a, the breakdown region 101 may be divided into approximately equal area regions. It is understood that the regions 102, 104 may have different sizes, shapes, forms, and/or any other parameters.

Each region 102, 104 may be configured with various impurities of different concentrations and/or doping. The doping of the regions may be n-type, p-type and/or any combination thereof. For example, region 102 may be doped with n-type impurities and region 104 may be doped with p-type impurities. It will be appreciated that any combination of impurities is possible.

However, the design of the breakdown region 101 shown in fig. 1a has various drawbacks. In particular, the breakdown region 101 suffers from high capacitance and switching current. Which in turn affects the switching speed.

Fig. 1b shows a top view of another exemplary breakdown region 103 of a semiconductor device. The breakdown region 103 of the semiconductor device may include a plurality of first regions 106 (a, b, c …, h) and second regions 108. As shown in fig. 1b, and similar to fig. 1a, the breakdown region 103 may be divided into approximately equal area regions 110, 112, wherein the first region 110 may comprise the first region 106 and the second region 112 may comprise the region 108.

The regions 106 may be configured as individual regions that may be spaced apart from one another using one or more predetermined distances. In some scenarios, the regions 106 may be equidistant from each other. Furthermore, the regions 106 may be evenly distributed throughout the first area 110. As shown in fig. 1b, each of the regions 106 may be configured to have a rectangular form. The dimensions of each region 106 may be substantially the same.

The first region 106 and the second region 108 may be configured to have various impurities of different concentrations and/or doping. The doping of the regions may be n-type, p-type and/or any combination thereof. For example, region 106 can be doped with n-type impurities and region 108 can be doped with p-type impurities. In some cases, region 106 may be separated from region 106 using a material having the same and/or similar impurities as the material used for region 108. Each region 106 may have the same concentration and/or type of impurity. Alternatively or additionally, each region 106 may be configured to have its own impurity concentration and/or type. It is understood that any combination of impurities and the size, shape and/or form of each region 106 are possible.

The breakdown region 103 shown in fig. 1b may be defective and may not provide adequate switching protection for the semiconductor device and/or any electronic components (not shown in fig. 1 b) to which the semiconductor device may be connected for various voltage transients. Furthermore, the breakdown region 103 may periodically exhibit unbalanced switching, resulting in damage and/or destruction of the semiconductor device and/or any other electronic circuitry connected thereto.

Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary breakdown region 200 of a semiconductor device according to some embodiments of the present subject matter. The breakdown region 200 of the semiconductor device may be configured as a first region 210 and a second region 212. The first region 210 may be configured to include a structure 201 that may be created with a semiconductor material 208. The second region 212 may be configured without any structure.

The structure 201 and the semiconductor material 208 may be configured with various impurities of different concentrations and/or doping. The doping of structure 201 may be n-type, p-type, and/or any combination thereof. For example, structure 201 may be doped with n-type impurities (e.g., lightly doped with n-type impurities), while material 208 may be doped with p-type impurities, and/or vice versa. Alternatively or additionally, no doping of the structure 201 and/or material 208 may be present in the breakdown region 200.

The structure 201 may be configured to have a comb shape. As shown in fig. 2, the structure 201 may be configured with a central backbone 202 and one or more protrusions 206 (a, b, c, …, h). The protrusion 206 may be configured to be substantially orthogonal to the stem 202 and may extend perpendicularly in both directions from the longitudinal axis of the central stem 202. The protrusions 206 may be configured in pairs (e.g., one relative to the other).

For example, the protrusion 206a may be configured to extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in the rightward direction, while the protrusion 206e may be positioned opposite the protrusion 206a and extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in the leftward direction; the protrusion 206b may be configured to extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in a rightward direction, while the protrusion 206f may be positioned opposite the protrusion 206b and extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in a leftward direction; the protrusion 206c may be configured to extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in a rightward direction, while the protrusion 206g may be positioned opposite the protrusion 206c and extend perpendicular to the stem 202 in a leftward direction; and the protrusion 206d may be configured to extend perpendicular to the trunk 202 in the rightward direction, while the protrusion 206h may be positioned opposite the protrusion 206d and extend perpendicular to the trunk 202 in the leftward direction. Further, in some embodiments, each protrusion 206 may be configured as separate areas that may be spaced apart from each other using one or more predetermined distances. In some exemplary embodiments, the protrusions 206 may be equidistant from each other. Furthermore, the protrusions 206 may be evenly distributed over the backbone 202. As shown in fig. 2, each of the protrusions 206 may be configured to have a rectangular shape. The size of each of the protrusions 206 may be substantially the same.

The structure 201 may also include one or more inlets 204 (a, b, c, …, f) that separate corresponding protrusions 206. The inlet 204 may be surrounded by three walls formed by the sides of the backbone 202 and the two protrusions 206.

In particular, the inlet 204a may be configured to be formed using a bottom side of the protrusion 206a, a top side of the protrusion 206b, and a side of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206a and 206 b. The inlet 204b may be configured to be formed using the bottom side of the protrusion 206b, the top side of the protrusion 206c, and the sides of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206b and 206 c. The inlet 204c may be configured to be formed using a bottom side of the protrusion 206c, a top side of the protrusion 206d, and a side of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206c and 206 d. The inlet 204d may be configured to be formed using the bottom side of the protrusion 206e, the top side of the protrusion 206f, and the sides of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206e and 206 f. The inlet 204e may be configured to be formed using the bottom side of the protrusion 206f, the top side of the protrusion 206g, and the sides of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206f and 206 g. Finally, the inlet 204f may be configured to be formed using the bottom side of the protrusion 206g, the top side of the protrusion 206h, and the sides of a portion of the stem 202 extending between the protrusions 206g and 206 h.

Fig. 2 shows a structure 201 having six inlets 204 and eight protrusions 206, and, due to the positioning of the protrusions 206 and stem 202, the inlets 204 may be arranged opposite one another (e.g., inlet 204a opposite inlet 204 d; inlet 204b opposite inlet 204 e; and inlet 204c opposite inlet 204 f), as described herein. However, it is to be appreciated that the structure 201 is not limited to the geometric arrangement of inlets and protrusions described above and/or their corresponding number, and may be configured with any number of protrusions 206 and/or inlets 204. Further, the protrusions 206 may be positioned on the backbone 202 in any desired manner. For example, the protrusions 206 may be positioned opposite the inlet 204 rather than opposite each other. Further, the protrusions 206 may extend from the backbone 202 at various predetermined angles, which may be different for each protrusion 206, and may be configured to point in various directions away from the backbone 202. Further, one side of the backbone 202 may have more protrusions 206 than the opposite side of the backbone.

In some embodiments, structure 201 may be configured to be uniformly doped throughout. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the protrusions 206 and/or stems 202 may be doped differently from one another. In particular, each protrusion 206 may be configured to have its own concentration and/or type of impurity. It is understood that any combination of impurities and the size, shape, and/or form of each protrusion 206 are possible.

One of the advantages of the breakdown region of the present subject matter is the ability to enable switching protection of the semiconductor device and/or any electronic components (not shown in fig. 2) that may be coupled to the semiconductor device to combat various high current events, voltage transients, and the like. Breakdown region 200, as shown in fig. 2, may also provide balanced switching to reduce the capacitance and/or switching current of the semiconductor device.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for fabricating a breakdown region of a semiconductor device. The method 300 may be used to form the breakdown region 200 as shown in fig. 2.

At 302, a backbone of the breakdown region structure may be provided. For example, a trunk 202 of the breakdown region 200 may be provided, as shown in fig. 2.

At 304, one or more protrusions may be formed. The protrusion may be configured to extend outwardly from the stem. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the protrusion 206 may be configured to extend outwardly from the backbone 202. In some embodiments, the protrusion 206 may be configured to extend at a predetermined angle relative to the backbone 202. Alternatively or additionally, the protrusion 206 may be configured to extend orthogonally relative to the backbone 202.

Further, the protrusions 206 may be configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone 202. The protrusions may be positioned opposite each other relative to the backbone. Alternatively or additionally, the protrusions may be positioned on the backbone in a predetermined order. Each protrusion is characterized by the same size, shape, and/or form. Alternatively or additionally, the protrusions may have different sizes, shapes, and/or forms.

In some embodiments, each protrusion 206 may be doped with a predetermined type and/or concentration of impurity. For example, each protrusion 206 may be doped with n-type and/or p-type impurities. The doping/concentration of impurities may be uniform and/or non-uniform across the protrusions 206.

At 306, one or more inlets may be formed. For example, the inlet 204 may be formed as a result of the formation of the protrusion 206. The inlet may be configured to be formed by a pair of protrusions 206 and a portion of the stem 204. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the inlet 204a may be configured to be formed by a bottom side of the protrusion 206a, a top side of the protrusion 206b, and a portion of the stem 202 positioned between the protrusions 206a and 206 b.

Further, the inlet 204 may be configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone 202. The inlets may be positioned opposite each other relative to the backbone 202. Alternatively or additionally, the inlets 204 may be positioned in a predetermined order relative to the backbone 202. Each inlet 204 is characterized as having the same size, shape, and/or form. Alternatively or additionally, the inlet may have different sizes, shapes and/or forms.

In some embodiments, each inlet 204 may be doped with a predetermined type and/or concentration of impurity. For example, each inlet 204 may be doped with n-type and/or p-type impurities. The doping/concentration of impurities may be uniform and/or non-uniform across inlet 204. Furthermore, the doping/concentration of the inlet 204 and the doping/concentration of the protrusion 206 may be the same and/or different.

At 308, a breakdown region structure including the stem, the formed protrusion, and the inlet may be positioned at a predetermined location within a breakdown region of the semiconductor device. In some embodiments, at 310, the breakdown region may be filled with a fill material (e.g., plasma) having another concentration/type of impurity, which may be different than the concentration/type of impurity of the stem, protrusion, and/or inlet.

The components and features of the above-described devices may be implemented using any combination of discrete circuits, application specific integrated circuits (application specific integrated circuit, ASICs), logic gates and/or single chip architectures. Furthermore, the features of the device may be implemented using microcontrollers, programmable logic arrays and/or microprocessors or any combination of the foregoing where suitably appropriate. It is noted that hardware, firmware, and/or software elements may be collectively or individually referred to herein as "logic" or "circuitry.

It will be appreciated that the exemplary device shown in the above block diagrams may represent one functionally descriptive example of many potential embodiments. Thus, the division, omission or inclusion of block functions depicted in the accompanying figures does not infer that the hardware components, circuits, software and/or elements for implementing these functions would necessarily be divided, omitted, or included in the embodiments.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" and derivatives thereof. The terms mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" (or a derivative thereof) in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the above features are believed to be usable together in any combination unless otherwise indicated. Thus, any of the features discussed separately may be used in combination with one another unless it is noted that the features are not compatible with one another.

It is emphasized that the abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. At the time of filing this document, it should be understood that it is not intended to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the foregoing detailed description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-english equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein," respectively. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Furthermore, the use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Thus, the terms "comprising," "including," or "having," and variants thereof, are open-ended and are used interchangeably herein.

For convenience and clarity, terms such as "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "transverse," "radial," "inner," "outer," "left" and "right" may be used herein to describe the relative positions and orientations of the features and components, each with respect to the other features and components' geometries and orientations appearing in the perspective, exploded perspective and cross-sectional views provided herein. The terms are not intended to be limiting and include words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

What has been described above includes examples of the disclosed architecture. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components and/or methodologies, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations are possible. Accordingly, the architecture of the present utility model is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The foregoing exemplary embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto. Future filed applications claiming priority to the present utility model may claim the disclosed subject matter in different manners and may generally include any one or more of the limitations variously disclosed or otherwise demonstrated herein.

All directional references (e.g., proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, longitudinal, front, rear, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, radial, axial, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated, connective references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a collection of elements and relative movement between elements. Thus, a connective reference does not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other.

Moreover, identifying references (e.g., primary, secondary, first, second, third, fourth, etc.) are not intended to imply importance or priority, but rather are used to distinguish one feature from another. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and may differ in size, position, order, and relative dimensions as reflected in the drawings.

The scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments described herein. Indeed, various other embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure in addition to those described herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Accordingly, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure is described herein in the context of particular embodiments in a particular environment for a particular purpose. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present disclosure may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims are to be interpreted in accordance with the full breadth and spirit of the present disclosure as set forth herein.

Claims (17)

1. A semiconductor device apparatus, comprising:

a breakdown region structure of a breakdown region of a semiconductor device, the breakdown region structure comprising:

a backbone;

one or more protrusions configured to extend outwardly from the backbone;

one or more inlets configured to be formed using the one or more protrusions;

wherein the breakdown region structure including the stem, the protrusion, and the inlet is configured to be positioned at a predetermined location within the breakdown region of the semiconductor device; and

a fill material configured to fill the breakdown region of the semiconductor device.

2. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to extend outwardly from the stem.

3. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is configured to extend at a predetermined angle relative to the stem.

4. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is configured to extend orthogonally relative to the stem.

5. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone.

6. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least two of the one or more protrusions are configured to be positioned opposite each other relative to the stem.

7. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to be positioned using a predetermined sequence relative to the stem.

8. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to have at least one of the following that are identical: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

9. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to have different at least one of: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

10. The semiconductor device arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is an n-type impurity doped protrusion or a p-type impurity doped protrusion.

11. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more inlets is configured to be formed using a pair of the one or more protrusions and a portion of the stem.

12. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more inlets are configured to be positioned on each side of the backbone.

13. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least two of the one or more inlets are configured to be positioned opposite each other relative to the backbone.

14. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more inlets are configured to be positioned using a predetermined sequence relative to the backbone.

15. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more inlets are configured to have at least one of the same: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

16. The semiconductor device apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more inlets are configured to have different at least one of: size, shape, form, and any combination thereof.

17. The semiconductor device arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more inlets is an n-type impurity doped inlet or a p-type impurity doped inlet.