| CPC H10D 64/513 (2025.01) [H10D 30/0297 (2025.01); H10D 30/665 (2025.01); H10D 30/668 (2025.01); H10D 64/118 (2025.01)] | 23 Claims |

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1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate having a semiconductor region;
a trench defined in the semiconductor region and having a sidewall;
a shield electrode disposed in the trench and insulated from the sidewall of the trench by a shield dielectric, the shield dielectric having a low-k dielectric portion and a high-k dielectric portion;
a gate electrode disposed in the trench and at least partially surrounded by a gate dielectric; and
an inter-electrode dielectric disposed between the shield electrode and the gate electrode, the high-k dielectric portion being insulated from the sidewall by at least a portion of the low-k dielectric portion, the high-k dielectric portion being in contact with the shield electrode.
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