18538012. METHOD FOR PREDICTING FAILURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE simplified abstract (DENSO CORPORATION)

METHOD FOR PREDICTING FAILURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Organization Name

DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor(s)

Masataka Deguchi of Kariya-city (JP)

Junya Muramatsu of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Keita Kataoka of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Katsuhiro Kutsuki of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Isao Aoyagi of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Takashi Tominaga of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Ryosuke Okachi of Nagakute-shi (JP)

Takashi Kohyama of Toyota-shi (JP)

METHOD FOR PREDICTING FAILURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18538012 titled 'METHOD FOR PREDICTING FAILURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a semiconductor element with a trench gate structure, consisting of first cells and second cells with gate insulating films that are more easily broken by energization. A common gate drive voltage is applied to both types of cells during operation, and failure of the second cells is detected and isolated to prevent damage to the first cells.

• Explanation of the patent/innovation:

- Semiconductor element with trench gate structure - First cells and second cells with different gate insulating film properties - Common gate drive voltage applied to both types of cells - Detection and isolation of failed second cells to protect first cells - Prediction of first cell failure based on second cell failure

• Potential applications of this technology:

- Power electronics - Semiconductor devices - Integrated circuits

• Problems solved by this technology:

- Preventing damage to first cells due to failure of second cells - Improving reliability of semiconductor elements - Enhancing performance of trench gate structures

• Benefits of this technology:

- Increased longevity of semiconductor devices - Enhanced safety during operation - Improved efficiency in power electronics

• Potential commercial applications of this technology:

- Manufacturing of power transistors - Semiconductor industry - Electronics manufacturing

• Possible prior art:

- Previous methods of detecting and isolating failed cells in semiconductor elements - Research on trench gate structures in semiconductor devices

1. Unanswered questions:
   1. How does the detection of second cell failure impact the overall performance of the semiconductor element?

The detection and isolation of failed second cells help prevent damage to the first cells and improve the reliability of the semiconductor element.

1. 1. What are the specific characteristics of the gate insulating films in the first and second cells?

The gate insulating films in the second cells are designed to be more easily broken by energization compared to those in the first cells, allowing for efficient detection of failure.

Original Abstract Submitted

Main cells that constitute a semiconductor element having a trench gate structure include first cells, and second cells having a structure in which gate insulating films are more easily broken by energization than those in the first cells, and the number of which is smaller than that of the first cells. At a time of driving the semiconductor element, a common gate drive voltage is applied to gate electrodes of the first cells and the second cells. An electrical characteristic is measured to detect failure of the second cells due to energization at the time of driving. The gate electrodes of the failed second cells are electrically isolated from the gate electrodes of the first cells so that the gate drive voltage is not applied to the failed second cells. The failure of the first cells is predicted based on the failure of the second cells.