1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a body region of a first conductivity type, a drift region of a second conductivity type having a surface on or above which the body region is laminated, a trench that extends from a surface of the semiconductor substrate into the drift region through the body region, and a source region of the second conductivity type located adjacent to the trench in a range exposed to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the source region being isolated from the drift region by the body region;
a source electrode electrically connected to the source region;
a drain electrode formed on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate;
a specific layer that is disposed on a bottom of the trench, and has a characteristic of forming a depletion layer at a junction between the specific layer and the drift region; an insulating layer that covers an upper surface of the specific layer and a side wall of the trench,
a gate electrode formed within the trench covered with the insulating layer; and
a conductive portion formed on a part of the side wall of the trench in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, along the side wall of the trench, the conductive portion having a first end portion that is joined to the specific layer, and a second end portion that reaches the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the conductive portion being connected to the source electrode,
wherein the specific layer comprises a metal layer, and a Schottky junction is formed at the junction between the specific layer and the drift region.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion comprises the same metal layer as that of the specific layer.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is formed by a semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, and the first end portion of the conductive portion is joined to the specific layer as the metal layer.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the insulating layer that covers the upper surface of the specific layer is larger than that of the insulating layer that covers the side wall of the trench.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein:
the trench is formed in a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides, when observed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
the conductive portion is located adjacent to at least a part of the side wall of the trench located at each of the short sides thereof; and
the source region is located adjacent to at least a part of the side wall of the trench located at each of the long sides thereof.
6. A method of producing a semiconductor device having a semiconductor substrate in which a body region of a first conductivity type is laminated on or above a surface of a drift region of a second conductivity type, and a trench is formed in a range of the semiconductor substrate which is exposed to a surface thereof, a source region of a second conductivity type that is located adjacent to the trench and is electrically connected to a source electrode, a drain electrode formed on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode formed within the trench, comprising:
a trench forming step of forming at least one trench as said trench which extends from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, into the drift region, through the body region;
a specific layer forming step of forming a specific layer on a bottom of the trench, the specific layer having a characteristic of forming a depletion layer at a junction between the specific layer and the drift region;
a conductive portion forming step of forming a conductive portion on a part of a side wall of the trench, the conductive portion being joined to the specific layer;
a first insulating layer forming step of forming a first insulating layer on inner walls of the trench;
a first etching step of etching the first insulating layer formed in the first insulating layer forming step, so that the lowest point of an upper surface of the first insulating layer formed in the first insulating layer forming step, within the trench, is located at a lower level than an interface between the drift region and the body region; and
a second insulating layer forming step of forming a second insulating layer on the side wall of the trench,
wherein:
the trench is formed in a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides, when observed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, in the trench forming step; the conductive portion forming step is the same step as the specific layer forming step;
a metal layer that provides the specific layer and the conductive portion is formed on the inner walls of the trench in the specific layer forming step; and
a second etching step is further provided for removing portions of the metal layer which cover side walls of the long sides of the trench, such that portions of the metal layer which cover side walls of the short sides of the trench remain.
7. A method of producing a semiconductor device having a semiconductor substrate in which a body region of a first conductivity type is laminated on or above a surface of a drift region of a second conductivity type, and a trench is formed in a range of the semiconductor substrate which is exposed to a surface thereof, a source region of a second conductivity type that is located adjacent to the trench and is electrically connected to a source electrode, a drain electrode formed on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode formed within the trench, comprising:
a trench forming step of forming at least one trench as said trench which extends from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, into the drift region, through the body region;
a specific layer forming step of forming a specific layer on a bottom of the trench, the specific layer having a characteristic of forming a depletion layer at a junction between the specific layer and the drift region;
a conductive portion forming step of forming a conductive portion on a part of a side wall of the trench, the conductive portion being joined to the specific layer;
a first insulating layer forming step of forming a first insulating layer on inner walls of the trench;
a first etching step of etching the first insulating layer formed in the first insulating layer forming step, so that the lowest point of an upper surface of the first insulating layer formed in the first insulating layer forming step, within the trench, is located at a lower level than an interface between the drift region and the body region; and
a second insulating layer forming step of forming a second insulating layer on the side wall of the trench, wherein:
the trench is formed in a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides, when observed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, in the trench forming step; a metal layer that provides the specific layer is formed in the specific layer forming step;
a second etching step is further provided for removing portions of the metal layer which cover side walls of the short sides of the trench and side walls of the long sides of the trench;
the conductive portion forming step is carried out between the second etching step and the first insulating layer forming step; and
the conductive portion forming step includes an ion implanting step of implanting ions into each of the side walls of the short sides of the trench, at an angle inclined relative to a vertical upward direction of the semiconductor substrate, so that a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type that extends in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate along the side wall of the trench is formed on a part of each of the side walls of the short sides of the trench.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A stack of print media comprising a print medium positioned on top of one or more different print media, the print medium having a set of media parameter information imprinted thereon, the media parameter information for configuring an image forming device to form an image on the one or more different print media.
2. A stack of print media as recited in claim 1, wherein the media parameter information is imprinted on the print medium such that the image forming device can sense the media parameter information independent of an orientation of the print medium in the image forming device.
3. A stack of print media as recited in claim 1, wherein the media parameter information is imprinted on the print medium on the front, back, top, bottom or sides of the print medium.
4. A stack of print media as recited in claim 1, wherein the print medium further comprises human readable instructions indicating how to use the print medium to configure the image forming device to form images on each of the one or more different print media.
5. In an imaging device loaded with a stack of print media comprising a top sheet and a plurality of other sheets of print media, a method for automatically configuring the imaging device to form images each of the other sheets of print media, the method comprising:
reading information from the top sheet, the information providing a set of media parameter information corresponding to each of the other sheets; and
configuring the imaging device to form images on each of the other sheets based on the information.
6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the information is imprinted on the top sheet such that the imaging device senses the encoded information independent of any particular orientation of the top sheet.
7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the information is a barcode that is imprinted on the front, back, top, bottom andor sides of the top sheet.
8. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the top sheet further comprises human readable information that provides instructions to a user on how to use the top sheet to configure the imaging device to form images on each of the other sheets.
9. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein reading information from the top sheet further comprises detecting a quantity of print media in the stack of print media from the information.
10. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the stack of print media is loaded into a media supply bin that is coupled to the imaging device, and wherein the method further comprises:
removing, by the imaging device, one or more of the other sheets from the media supply bin;
receiving a request to generate a new media identification sheet; and
responsive to receiving the request, generating the new media identification sheet comprising one or more new media parameters that correspond to each of the other sheets of print media remaining in the media supply bin.
11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the new media parameters comprise an indication of a quantity of print media remaining in the stack of print media.
12. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for automatically configuring an imaging device to form images on a plurality of sheets of print media in a stack of print media, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
reading information from a top sheet of the stack of print media, the information providing a set of media parameter information corresponding to each of the sheets of print media independent of the top sheet; and
configuring the imaging device to form images on each of the sheets of print media based on the information.
13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the information is imprinted on the top sheet such that the imaging device senses the information independent of any particular orientation of the top sheet.
14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the information is a barcode that is imprinted on the front, back, top, bottom andor sides of the top sheet.
15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the top sheet further comprises human readable information that provides instructions to a user on how to use the top sheet to configure the imaging device to form images on each of the other sheets.
16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein reading information from the top sheet further comprises detecting a quantity of print media in the stack of print media from the information.
17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the stack of print media is loaded into a media supply bin that is coupled to the imaging device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:
removing one or more of the sheets of print media from the media supply bin;
receiving a request to generate a new media identification sheet; and
responsive to receiving the request, generating the new media identification sheet comprising one or more new media parameters that correspond to each of the sheets of print media that remaining in the media supply bin.
18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the new media parameters comprise an indication of a quantity of print media remaining in the stack of print media.
19. An imaging device comprising:
a memory comprising computer-executable instructions for automatically configuring the imaging device to form images on a plurality of sheets of print media in a stack of print media that is loaded in a media supply bin;
a processor that is operatively coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to fetch and execute the computer-executable instructions from the memory, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
reading information from a top sheet of the stack of print media, the information providing a set of media parameter information corresponding to each of the sheets of print media independent of the top sheet; and
configuring the imaging device form images on each of the sheets of print media based on the information.
20. An imaging device as recited in claim 19, wherein the information is imprinted on the top sheet such that the imaging device senses the information independent of any particular orientation of the top sheet.
21. An imaging device as recited in claim 19, wherein the information is a barcode that is imprinted on the front, back, top, bottom andor sides of the top sheet.
22. An imaging device as recited in claim 19, wherein the top sheet further comprises human readable information that provides instructions to a user on how to use the top sheet to configure the imaging device to form images on each of the other sheets.
23. An imaging device as recited in claim 19, wherein reading information from the top sheet further comprises detecting a quantity of print media in the stack of print media from the information.
24. An imaging device as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:
removing one or more of the sheets of print media from the media supply bin;
receiving a request to generate a new media identification sheet; and
responsive to receiving the request, generating the new media identification sheet comprising one or more new media parameters that correspond to each of the sheets of print media that remaining in the media supply bin.
25. An imaging device as recited in claim 24, wherein the new media parameters comprise an indication of a quantity of print media remaining in the stack of print media.