Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral transistor device in an SOI layer on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region and forms a lightly-doped drain region, and a drain contact region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and extending over a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being at least substantially insulated from the body region and drift region by a surface insulation region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an SOI LDMOS device having improved current handling capability, particularly in the source-follower mode, while maintaining an improved breakdown voltage capability. The improvement in current handling capability is achieved in a first embodiment by introducing an offset region between the source and thin drift regions. The offset region achieves an offset between the onset of the linear doping profile and the thinning of the SOI layer that results in the thin drift region. In a second embodiment a further increase in the current handling capability of an SOI device is achieved by fabricating an oxide layer over the offset region, with the thickness of the oxide layer layer varying up to about half the thickness of the oxide layer fabricated over the thin drift region.

Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral MOS device on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region, and a drain region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and over at least a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being insulated from the body region and drift region by an insulation region.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device such as a diode or MOSFET provided in a thin semiconductor film on a thin buried oxide is disclosed, in which the lateral semiconductor device structure includes at least two semiconductor regions separated by a lateral drift region. A top oxide insulating layer is provided over the thin semiconductor film and a conductive field plate is provided on the top oxide insulating layer. In order to provide enhanced device performance, a portion of the top oxide layer increases in thickness in a substantially continuous manner, while a portion of the lateral drift region beneath the top oxide layer decreases in thickness in a substantially continuous manner, both over a distance which is at least about a factor of five greater than the maximum thickness of the thin semiconductor film.

Abstract: A method of using a robot to repeatedly manipulate a brazing nozzle is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes using a pointer to teach the robot to manipulate the brazing nozzle at a preselected angle with respect to, and length away from, an instant surface along a multi-dimensional seam line on an automotive sheet metal body. The pointer includes a base portion for connection with an end of a robot arm. The pointer additionally has a main body having a length inclusive of the base portion approximating the length of the brazing nozzle and the preselected work distance of the brazing nozzle away from the work piece. A contact portion of the pointer is continuous with the main body and is provided for contacting the work piece. The contact portion has two small parallel-spaced surface flats. The surface flats of the contact portion are generally aligned in a common plane at a preselected angle with respect to the robot arm.

Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) PMOS device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral PMOS transistor device in an SOI layer on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of p-type conductivity formed in a body region of n-type conductivity. A lateral drift region of n-type conductivity is provided adjacent the body region, and a drain region of p-type conductivity is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and extending over a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being insulated from the body region and drift region by an insulation region.

Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral MOS device on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region, and a drain region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and over at least a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being insulated from the body region and drift region by an insulation region.

Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral MOS device on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region, and a drain region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and over at least a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being insulated from the body region and drift region by an insulation region.

Abstract: A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a lateral semiconductor device such as a diode or MOSFET provided in a thin semiconductor film on a thin buried oxide. The lateral semiconductor device structure includes at least two semiconductor regions separated by a lateral drift region. A top oxide insulating layer is provided over the thin semiconductor film and a conductive field plate is provided on the top oxide insulating layer. In order to provide enhanced device performance, a portion of the top oxide layer increases in thickness in a substantially continuous manner, while a portion of the lateral drift region beneath the top oxide layer decreases in thickness in a substantially continuous manner, both over a distance which is at least about a factor of five greater than the maximum thickness of the thin semiconductor film.

Abstract: An electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) is provided with an insulated control gate and an insulating floating gate in a trench in a semiconductor body. A dielectric layer is disposed along the sidewalls of the trench to separate the floating gate and the semiconductor body. The thickness of the dielectric layer along at least one sidewall of the trench is greater than the thickness of the dielectric layer along the other sidewalls of the trench in order to increase the programming speed due to a higher electric field in the gate oxide along the remaining sidewalls.