Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L29/00—Semiconductor devices adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching, or capacitors or resistors with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof  ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
  • H01L29/66—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
  • H01L29/68—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable by only the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched
  • H01L29/70—Bipolar devices
  • H01L29/74—Thyristor-type devices, e.g. having four-zone regenerative action
  • H01L29/747—Bidirectional devices, e.g. triacs
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
  • H01L27/02—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components specially adapted for rectifying, oscillating, amplifying or switching and having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier; including integrated passive circuit elements with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
  • H01L27/04—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components specially adapted for rectifying, oscillating, amplifying or switching and having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier; including integrated passive circuit elements with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the substrate being a semiconductor body
  • H01L27/08—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components specially adapted for rectifying, oscillating, amplifying or switching and having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier; including integrated passive circuit elements with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the substrate being a semiconductor body including only semiconductor components of a single kind
  • H01L27/0817—Thyristors only
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L29/00—Semiconductor devices adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching, or capacitors or resistors with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof  ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
  • H01L29/66—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
  • H01L29/68—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable by only the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched
  • H01L29/70—Bipolar devices
  • H01L29/74—Thyristor-type devices, e.g. having four-zone regenerative action
  • H01L29/7404—Thyristor-type devices, e.g. having four-zone regenerative action structurally associated with at least one other device

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of medium-power bidirectional switches and for example bidirectional switches connectable to the electrical network, capable of withstanding voltages of several hundred volts.
• the triac has the advantage of being able to withstand voltages according to one or the other polarity, that is to say being able to be placed directly in a circuit supplied by an alternating network. and also has the advantage of being able to be controlled by a positive or negative trigger signal.
• a disadvantage of the triac is that it is controlled by injecting a current. In many cases, it would be preferable for this control to be carried out by a voltage, that is to say that the triac becomes conductive when the voltage applied to its control terminal becomes greater, in absolute value, than a determined threshold.
• a known solution to overcome this drawback is to have in series with the trigger terminal a triac a diac, or bidirectional Shockley diode, which becomes conducting when the voltage at its terminals exceeds a determined threshold.
• a triac a diac, or bidirectional Shockley diode, which becomes conducting when the voltage at its terminals exceeds a determined threshold.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a monolithic component of the triac type with voltage control.
• the present invention provides a monolithic component of the voltage-controlled triac type, formed in a substrate of a first type of conductivity, comprising a first and a second vertical thyristor, a first main electrode of the first thyristor, of the side of the front face of the component, corresponding to a first region of the first type of conductivity formed in a first box of the second type of conductivity, said first box corresponding to a first main electrode of the second thyrist, the first box containing a second region of the first type of conductivity; and a pilot structure comprising, on the side of the front face, above an extension of a region of second main electrode of the second thyristor, a second box of the second type of conductivity containing third and fourth regions of the first type of conductivity, the third region and a portion of the second box being connected to a trigger terminal, the fourth region being connected to the second region.
• the component is surrounded at its periphery by a wall of the second type of conductivity extending from one face to the other of the component.
• the first box on the side of the front face, has an extension which surrounds the second box.
• FIG. 1 represents a embodiment of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 is intended to explain the triggering of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention in the quadrants Ql and Q4
• FIG. 3 is intended to explain the triggering of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention in the quadrants Q2 and Q3
• FIG. 1 represents a embodiment of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 is intended to explain the triggering of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention in the quadrants Ql and Q4
• FIG. 3 is intended to explain the triggering of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention in the quadrants Q2 and Q3
• FIG. 4 shows the mounting of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention in an application to a light dimmer
• Figure 5 is a simplified top view of an embodiment of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention.
• a monolithic bidirectional voltage-controlled switch according to the present invention is produced in a portion 1 of a lightly doped N-type semiconductor substrate delimited by a highly doped P-type isolation wall 2.
• the component comprises a switch structure proper corresponding to thyristors Thl and Th2.
• This structure comprises, on the side of the lower face, a P-type layer 3 in a part of which is formed an N + type region 4 and, on the side of the upper face, a P-type box 5 in which is formed an N + type region 6.
• the thyristor Thl comprises from its anode to its cathode portions of regions and layers 3-1-5-6.
• the thyristor Th2 comprises from its anode to its cathode portions of the regions and layers 5-1-3-4.
• the entire underside of the component is coated with a metallization Ml connected to a first main terminal Al of the switch, this terminal A1 being intended to be connected to an alternating voltage.
• the upper faces of the box 5 and of the N + 6 region are covered with a metallization M2 connected to a terminal A2 constituting the second main terminal of the component and normally connected to ground.
• the present invention provides on the one hand an additional region 8 of type N + formed in the box 5 of type P and coated with a metallization M3. Note that this metallization M3 is only in contact with the additional region 8 and not with the box 5.
• the present invention provides a pilot structure comprising on the side of the upper face a box 11 of type P in which are formed from distinct regions 12 and 13 of type N + . Region 13 is coated with an M4 metallization. The region 12 and part of the upper surface of the box 11 are coated with a metallization M5 connected to a gate terminal G.
• the component comprises various means intended to ensure its resistance to tension.
• a certain lateral distance from the box N is left free between the peripheral wall 2 and the lateral ends of the elements described above of the switch and of the pilot structure.
• this free zone is preferably provided an N + type ring 15 having a channel stop function, this ring possibly being coated with a metallization not connected to an external terminal.
• one outside the box 11 of the pilot area is provided a box P 16 connected to earth like the box P 5.
• this box 16 constitutes an extension of the box 5 which surrounds the box 11.
• the outer periphery of the wells P 5 and 16 is bordered by a lightly doped P-type ring 17.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the operation of a switch according to the present invention controlled in the quadrant Ql, that is to say when the terminal Al is positive with respect to the terminal A2 and the voltage on the trigger is positive. In this configuration, it is the main thyristor Thl which is capable of being turned on.
• FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of the device according to the present invention in the second quadrant, that is to say when the electrode Al is positive with respect to the electrode A2 and the trigger electrode is negative with respect to the electrode A2.
• quadrant Q3 in which the electrode Al is negative with respect to the electrode A2, and in which a negative voltage is applied to the trigger, there is a similar operation with regard to the triggering of the lateral thyristor SCR2 but this times it is the thyristor Th2 which is put into conduction, the generation of carriers in the substrate unblocking the junction between the substrate 1 and the layer 3 of type P.
• FIG. 4 represents an example of application of a component according to the present invention to the production of a light dimmer.
• An alternating voltage is connected to terminal A1 by means of a load L, for example an electric bulb with a power of one hundred watts, terminal A2 being connected to ground and constituting the second terminal of the supply voltage.
• the alternating voltage is also applied to the trigger terminal G via an adjustable resistor R.
• the trigger is also connected to ground via a capacitor C.
• the capacitance C is gradually charged with a time constant which depends on the setting of the resistance R.
• FIG. 5 is a simplified top view of an embodiment of a bidirectional switch according to the present invention.
• the same elements as in Figure 1 are designated by the same references.
• the box 16 constitutes an extension of the box 5 which surrounds the box 11.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Thyristors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8871082

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 2001
  • 2001-12-28 FR FR0117044A patent/FR2834386B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-12-27 WO PCT/FR2002/004581 patent/WO2003056631A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2002-12-27 US US10/500,183 patent/US7145185B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-12-27 EP EP02799855A patent/EP1459388A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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