Patent ID: 11929420
Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 7:
8. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor layer structure that comprises silicon carbide, the semiconductor layer structure comprising a trench formed therein, where at least some corners of the trench are rounded;
a gate dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer structure-and within the trench, the gate dielectric layer comprising lower corners and upper corners, where at least one of the lower corners and upper corners comprises a rounded corner; and
a gate electrode on the gate dielectric layer opposite the semiconductor layer structure
wherein the gate dielectric layer comprises a silicon oxide base gate dielectric layer and a capping gate dielectric layer on an upper surface of the silicon oxide base gate dielectric layer,
wherein the semiconductor device is configured so that during on-state operation a peak electric field value in the silicon oxide base gate dielectric layer is at least 50% greater than a peak electric field value in the capping gate dielectric layer.