US2811682A - Silicon power rectifier - Google Patents

Silicon power rectifier Download PDF

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Publication number
US2811682A
US2811682A US491908A US49190855A US2811682A US 2811682 A US2811682 A US 2811682A US 491908 A US491908 A US 491908A US 49190855 A US49190855 A US 49190855A US 2811682 A US2811682 A US 2811682A
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United States
Prior art keywords
zone
type
terminal
low
resistance
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Expired - Lifetime
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US491908A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gerald L Pearson
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AT&T Corp
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Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority to NL193595D priority Critical patent/NL193595A/xx
Priority to BE536150D priority patent/BE536150A/xx
Priority to NL99247D priority patent/NL99247C/xx
Priority to FR1115845D priority patent/FR1115845A/fr
Priority to DEW15753A priority patent/DE1033786B/de
Application filed by Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc filed Critical Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
Priority to US491908A priority patent/US2811682A/en
Priority to CH337583D priority patent/CH337583A/fr
Priority to GB6456/55A priority patent/GB782664A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2811682A publication Critical patent/US2811682A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
    • H10D62/00—Semiconductor bodies, or regions thereof, of devices having potential barriers
    • H10D62/10—Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of the regions of the semiconductor bodies; Shapes of the semiconductor bodies
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/22—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities
    • H01L21/223—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities using diffusion into or out of a solid from or into a gaseous phase
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/24—Alloying of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, with a semiconductor body
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
    • H01L23/58—Structural electrical arrangements for semiconductor devices not otherwise provided for, e.g. in combination with batteries
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
    • H10D8/00—Diodes
    • H10D8/50—PIN diodes 
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
    • H10D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
    • H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
    • H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Definitions

  • An object of the invention is to increase the power handling capacity of a semiconductive rectifier.
  • the invention provides a novel form of semiconductive rectifier.
  • Conduction occurs in electronic semiconductors by means of two types of charge carriers, electrons and holes. These carriers can be provided in the semiconductor in several ways including the presence of certain elements in the crystal structure which have either an excess or deficit of valence electrons so that they provide a source of unbound holes or electrons which can be moved by the application of external voltage to the crystal structure.
  • n-type those conductors wherein conduction is largely by electrons
  • p-type those conductors wherein conduction is largely by holes
  • n+ and p+ are used to identify regions which have a more marked predominance of the characteristic type of charge carrier.
  • Those elements constituting impurities which contribute unbound electrons to semiconductors are termed donors while those elements which contribute unbound holes are termed acceptors. Acceptors' and donors are referred to as significant impurities to distinguish them from other materials which may be present in the semiconductor.
  • the conductivity transition region between zones of opposite conductivity type in a semiconductive body is known as a p-n junction.
  • the present invention provides a rectifier which is or ICQ characterized by both low internal losses and a capacity for tolerating substantial temperature rises.
  • a feature of the present invention is a rectifying element which comprises a single crystal purified silicon body having a terminal n-type zone characterized by a concentration of phosphorus significant impurities, a terminal p-type zone characterized by a concentration of boron significant impurities, and an intermediate zone having a resistivity higher than that of the terminal zone of corresponding conductivity type.
  • an n-type zone is sandwiched between a vapor-solid boron-diffused p+ type zone and a vapor-solid phosphorous diffused n+ type zone.
  • the choice of purified silicon as the semiconductive body material provides initial advantages which are multiplied by its association with the chosen significant impurities. Silicon can be made to have very low resistance to forward currents and a very high resistance to reverse currents. Silicon is very stable electronically up to 200 C., permitting heating to this point with little serious effeet. This is in marked contrast to other semiconductive materials, such as germanium.
  • boron as the acceptor for doping the p-type surface zone makes possible a thin low-resistance difiused p-type terminal layer.
  • Such a boron-diffused layer is found to lend itself readily to low-resistance ohmic connection. This is of considerable importance if internal losses are to be minimized.
  • the particular choice of phosphorus as the donor for doping the n+ type zone makes possible a thin low-resistance terminal layer.
  • an 11+ type surface zone can be localized contiguous to the n-type zone by the vapor difiusion of phosphorus with no appreciable efiect on the boron p-type layer.
  • the provision of a phosphorous-diffused n+ type layer makes possible low-resistance ohmic connection to the n-side of the rectifying junction. This is important for the following considerations.
  • An important specific feature of the invention is a particular design which provides extremely low internal losses and possesses advantages in its relative simplicity of preparation.
  • This design comprises a single crystal silicon body having a relatively thick intermediate n-type zone of a resistivity of about 0.3 ohm-centimeter, one thin terminal diffused p-type zone having a concentration of boron 1 impurities resulting in a resistivity of about 0.091 ohmcentimeter, and another thinner terminal diffused 11+ type zone having a concentration of phosphorous impurities resulting in a resistivity of about 0.01 ohm-centimeter, together with rhodium ohmic connections to the two terminal zones.
  • Fig. 1 represents a cross section of a rectifier element in accordance with the invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows two rectifier elements connected for providing full-wave rectification of an alternating signal.
  • a single crystal silicon body comprises an intermediate 11- type zone 11 of 0.3 ohm-centimeter resistivity and about 30 mils thickness, a terminal p-type zone 12 about 1.5 mils thick and having a concentration of boron which results in a resistivity of 0.001 ohm-centimeter, and a terminal n+ type zone 13 about 0.5 mil thick having a concentration of phosphorous impurities which results in a resistivity of 0.01 ohm-centimeter.
  • Such a body can be formed conveniently, for example, by vapor-solid diffusion techniques of the kind described in copending application Serial No. 414,272, filed March 5, 1954 by C.
  • an n-type conductivity silicon cylindrical wafer is heated in a boron trichloride atmosphere at a temperature of approximately 1250" C. for about twenty-three hours to form a thin p-type conductivity surface on the wafer.
  • the p-type layer is then removed from one flat end surface of the wafer to expose the n-type zone. Further, heating in a phosphorous atmosphere at a temperature of 1230 C.
  • the surface of the low-resistance p-type zone is found to be unaffected by the phosphorous atmosphere, eliminating the need for further. treating of the p-type zone.
  • Low-resistance ohmic connections are made to the two terminal zones by electroplating with a suitable noncontaminating metal, such as rhodium, to form coatings 14, 15. Copper leads may then be connected to these coatings 14, 15. v
  • a design of the kind described has provided satisfactorily for an extended period average currents of 15 amperes from a rectifying area of a square centimeter with no special provisions for cooling. Such a performance would be considered remarkable in the light of prior art rectifier standards.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates schematically the manner in which two rectifying elements can be utilized to provide fullwave rectification of an alternating signal.
  • the alterhating voltage to be rectified is applied from a suitable source 21 to the primary winding 22 of the power transformer 2,3.
  • the center tap 2,4 of the secondary winding 25 of the transformer is connected to one side of the load, shown here schematically as the resistance 26, the other side of which is connected to the large area metallic coatings plated or fused to the n+ type terminal zones of rectifying elements 31 and 32.
  • the two terminals of the secondary Winding 25 are connected, respectively, to the large area metallic coatings plated or fused to the p-type terminal zones of elements 31 and 32. It will be evident that various other configurations are possible for providing full-wave rectification.
  • a rectifying element of the kind described can obviously be built in various shapes and sizes to adapt it for specific capacities of power handling. Its capacity to handle currents is determined primarily by its surface area. Its ability to withstand high reverse voltages is found to be determined by the resistivities of the two zones forming the p-n junction, higher resistivities being necessary to withstand higher reverse voltages.
  • the rectifying element described specifically is designed to withstand reverse voltages of about volts, the substitution of an intermediate zone of 3.0 ohm-centimeters resistivity would make it possible to withstand reverse voltages of about 225 volts.
  • the silicon wafer with which one began was all n-type, such as may be provided by doping the silicon melt from which the silicon crystal is grown with a suitable donor, such as arsenic
  • a silicon body which is all p-type such as may be provided by doping the silicon melt with a suitable acceptor, such as gallium.
  • a rectifying element in which the silicon body comprises a p type zone intermediate between p+ type and n-type surface zones charactcrized by predominances of boron and phosphorus impurity atoms, respectively.
  • luA rectifying element comprising a substantially monocrystalline silicon wafer having an intermediate zone of relatively high specific resistivity of one conductivity type, a first low specific resistivity terminal zone contiguous with one side of the intermediate zone in which boron is the predominant significant impurity, and a second low specific resistivity terminal zone contiguous with the opposite side of the intermediate zone in which phosphorus is the predominant significant impurity, and a pair of electrodes, each making low ohmic resistance connection to a different one of said two terminal zones.
  • a rectifier element comprising a substantially monocrystalline silicon wafer having an intermediate zone of a relatively high specific resistivity of one conductivity type, a first low specific resistivity terminal zone which is vapor-solid boron-diffused contiguous with one surface of the intermediate zone, and a second low specific resistivity terminal zone which is vapor-solid phosphorusdiffused contiguous with the opposite surface of the intermediate zone, and a pair of electrodes, each making low ohmic resistance connection to a different one of said two terminal zones.
  • a rectifying element comprising a substantially monocrystalline silicon wafer having an n-type intermediate zone, a first vapor-solid boron-diffused p+ type terminal zone contiguous with one side of the intermediate zone, and a second vapor-solid phosphorus-diffused n+ type terminal zone contiguous with the opposite side of the intermediate zone, and a pair of electrodes each making low ohmic resistance connection to a different one of said two terminal zones.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Apparatuses And Processes For Manufacturing Resistors (AREA)
  • Rectifiers (AREA)
  • Electrodes Of Semiconductors (AREA)
US491908A 1954-03-05 1955-03-03 Silicon power rectifier Expired - Lifetime US2811682A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE536150D BE536150A (en(2012)) 1954-03-05
NL99247D NL99247C (en(2012)) 1954-03-05
NL193595D NL193595A (en(2012)) 1954-03-05
FR1115845D FR1115845A (fr) 1954-03-05 1954-12-14 Perfectionnements aux éléments redresseurs au silicium
DEW15753A DE1033786B (de) 1954-03-05 1955-01-15 Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Silizium-Gleichrichters
US491908A US2811682A (en) 1954-03-05 1955-03-03 Silicon power rectifier
CH337583D CH337583A (fr) 1954-03-05 1955-03-04 Elément redresseur
GB6456/55A GB782664A (en) 1954-03-05 1955-03-04 Semiconductive rectifying bodies

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US41427554A 1954-03-05 1954-03-05
US491908A US2811682A (en) 1954-03-05 1955-03-03 Silicon power rectifier

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2811682A true US2811682A (en) 1957-10-29

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US491908A Expired - Lifetime US2811682A (en) 1954-03-05 1955-03-03 Silicon power rectifier

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US (1) US2811682A (en(2012))
BE (1) BE536150A (en(2012))
CH (1) CH337583A (en(2012))
DE (1) DE1033786B (en(2012))
FR (1) FR1115845A (en(2012))
GB (1) GB782664A (en(2012))
NL (2) NL193595A (en(2012))

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2931960A (en) * 1957-01-29 1960-04-05 Siemens Ag Electric semiconductor p-nu junction devices and method of producing them
US2937963A (en) * 1958-07-14 1960-05-24 Int Rectifier Corp Temperature compensating zener diode construction
US2943268A (en) * 1957-07-30 1960-06-28 Texaco Inc Automatic gain control amplifier circuit
US2952824A (en) * 1958-06-18 1960-09-13 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Silicon alloy diode
US2959501A (en) * 1956-05-15 1960-11-08 Siemens Ag Silicon semiconductor device and method of producing it
US2962394A (en) * 1957-06-20 1960-11-29 Motorola Inc Process for plating a silicon base semiconductive unit with nickel
DE1104075B (de) * 1958-05-14 1961-04-06 Telefunken Gmbh Halbleitergleichrichter, insbesondere Hochfrequenzgleichrichter, mit einer n np- bzw. p pn-Folge der Halbleiterzonen im Halbleiterkoerper und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
US3007092A (en) * 1957-12-23 1961-10-31 Hughes Aircraft Co Semiconductor devices
US3021595A (en) * 1958-07-02 1962-02-20 Texas Instruments Inc Ohmic contacts for silicon conductor devices and method for making
US3051878A (en) * 1957-05-02 1962-08-28 Sarkes Tarzian Semiconductor devices and method of manufacturing them
US3116442A (en) * 1959-07-27 1963-12-31 Link Belt Co Silicon rectifier assembly comprising a heat conductive mounting base
US3120052A (en) * 1957-03-20 1964-02-04 Bosch Gmbh Robert Method of making alloyed junction semiconductor devices
US3225438A (en) * 1957-12-23 1965-12-28 Hughes Aircraft Co Method of making alloy connections to semiconductor bodies

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE557842A (en(2012)) * 1956-06-01
DE1208412B (de) * 1959-11-13 1966-01-05 Siemens Ag Elektrisches Halbleiterbauelement mit mindestens einem an die Oberflaeche des Halbleiterkoerpers tretenden pn-UEbergang und Verfahren zum Herstellen eines solchen Bauelements

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2603693A (en) * 1950-10-10 1952-07-15 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Semiconductor signal translating device
US2623102A (en) * 1948-06-26 1952-12-23 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Circuit element utilizing semiconductive materials
US2689930A (en) * 1952-12-30 1954-09-21 Gen Electric Semiconductor current control device

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2561411A (en) * 1950-03-08 1951-07-24 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Semiconductor signal translating device

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2623102A (en) * 1948-06-26 1952-12-23 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Circuit element utilizing semiconductive materials
US2603693A (en) * 1950-10-10 1952-07-15 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Semiconductor signal translating device
US2689930A (en) * 1952-12-30 1954-09-21 Gen Electric Semiconductor current control device

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2959501A (en) * 1956-05-15 1960-11-08 Siemens Ag Silicon semiconductor device and method of producing it
US2931960A (en) * 1957-01-29 1960-04-05 Siemens Ag Electric semiconductor p-nu junction devices and method of producing them
US3120052A (en) * 1957-03-20 1964-02-04 Bosch Gmbh Robert Method of making alloyed junction semiconductor devices
US3051878A (en) * 1957-05-02 1962-08-28 Sarkes Tarzian Semiconductor devices and method of manufacturing them
US2962394A (en) * 1957-06-20 1960-11-29 Motorola Inc Process for plating a silicon base semiconductive unit with nickel
US2943268A (en) * 1957-07-30 1960-06-28 Texaco Inc Automatic gain control amplifier circuit
US3225438A (en) * 1957-12-23 1965-12-28 Hughes Aircraft Co Method of making alloy connections to semiconductor bodies
US3007092A (en) * 1957-12-23 1961-10-31 Hughes Aircraft Co Semiconductor devices
DE1104075B (de) * 1958-05-14 1961-04-06 Telefunken Gmbh Halbleitergleichrichter, insbesondere Hochfrequenzgleichrichter, mit einer n np- bzw. p pn-Folge der Halbleiterzonen im Halbleiterkoerper und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
US2952824A (en) * 1958-06-18 1960-09-13 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Silicon alloy diode
US3021595A (en) * 1958-07-02 1962-02-20 Texas Instruments Inc Ohmic contacts for silicon conductor devices and method for making
US2937963A (en) * 1958-07-14 1960-05-24 Int Rectifier Corp Temperature compensating zener diode construction
US3116442A (en) * 1959-07-27 1963-12-31 Link Belt Co Silicon rectifier assembly comprising a heat conductive mounting base

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB782664A (en) 1957-09-11
NL193595A (en(2012))
NL99247C (en(2012))
FR1115845A (fr) 1956-04-30
DE1033786B (de) 1958-07-10
CH337583A (fr) 1959-04-15
BE536150A (en(2012))

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