According to GlobalData’s company profile on Vanguard Group, retail trading platforms was a key innovation area identified from patents. Vanguard Group's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

Semiconductor device with a dual structure gate electrode

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office(USPTO). Credit: The Vanguard Group Inc

A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230207682A1) describes a semiconductor device and a method for forming it. The device includes a substrate with a first conductive type, an epitaxial layer on the substrate with the same conductive type, and a doped region within the epitaxial layer with a different conductive type. The device also includes a gate electrode that extends through the doped region and into the epitaxial layer. The gate electrode consists of a first structure with a certain dimension and a second structure above it. The second structure has a larger dimension and includes a protruding portion below the main portion.

The semiconductor device further includes a gate dielectric layer, which is divided into three portions. The first portion is located on the sides and bottom of the first structure of the gate electrode. The second portion is positioned between the first structure and the protruding portion of the second structure. The third portion is located on the sides of the second structure.

The gate electrode's protruding portion is vertically positioned between the first structure and the main portion of the second structure. Additionally, the device includes a well region within the doped region, which has the same conductive type as the substrate. The main portion of the second structure of the gate electrode extends through the well region and into the doped region. The protruding portion of the second structure is entirely located within the doped region.

The first structure of the gate electrode is positioned across the doped region and the epitaxial layer. An interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer is also present on the epitaxial layer and the gate electrode. The device further includes a source electrode that extends through the ILD layer and into the well region. Below the source electrode, there is a doped contact region that extends into the doped region and has a different conductive type.

On the other side of the substrate, opposite the epitaxial layer, there is a drain electrode. The method for forming the semiconductor device involves providing a substrate and an epitaxial layer on the substrate. A doped region is formed within the epitaxial layer, and a gate trench is created, penetrating the doped region and extending into the epitaxial layer. The gate trench consists of a first opening with a certain width and a second opening below it, which has a smaller width. The second opening is filled with a metal material, which is then etched back to form the first structure of the gate electrode. A gate dielectric layer is deposited on the top surface of the first structure, and a second structure of the gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric layer, filling the remaining portion of the second opening and the first opening.

The method also involves forming a well region within the doped region and depositing an interlayer dielectric layer on the epitaxial layer and the gate electrode. A source trench is created, penetrating the interlayer dielectric layer and extending into the doped region, and the trench is filled with a source electrode. Before filling the source electrode, a doped contact region is formed within the source trench, directly contacting the doped region. Finally, a drain electrode is formed on the opposite side of the substrate.

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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.