Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes memory cells including a first MOS transistor, and a boosting circuit including a capacitor element. The first MOS transistor includes a charge accumulation layer and a control gate formed on the charge accumulation layer with an inter-gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The capacitor element includes a first and a second semiconductor layers, a capacitor insulating film, and a third semiconductor layer. The first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor substrate and separated from each other. The capacitor insulating film is formed on the top and side of each of the first and second semiconductor layers and on the semiconductor substrate between the first and second semiconductor layers and is made of the same material as that of the inter-gate insulating film. The third semiconductor layer is formed on the capacitor insulating film and is isolated electrically from the second semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor multi-package module has an inverted second package stacked over a first package, in which the stacked packages are electronically interconnected by wire bonds, and in which at least one of the packages is provided with an electrical shield. Also, a method for making a semiconductor multi-package module, by providing a lower molded package including a lower substrate and a die and having a shield, affixing an upper molded package including an upper substrate in inverted orientation onto an upper surface of the lower package, and forming z-interconnects between the upper and lower substrates. Where the shield is situated above the lower package substrate, the inverted upper package is affixed onto an upper surface of the shield.

Abstract: Gate lines and a gate shorting bar connected to the gate lines, which include lower and upper films, are formed on a substrate. A gate insulating layer, semiconductors, and ohmic contacts are formed in sequence. Data lines and a data shorting bar connected to the data lines, which include lower and upper films, are formed thereon. A passivation layer is formed on the data lines and the data shorting bar. The passivation layer and the gate insulating are patterned to form contact holes exposing the lower films of the gate lines and the data lines. Connecting portions of the gate lines and the data lines for connection with driving circuits are locate opposite the shorting bars with respect to the contact holes.

Abstract: A gate electrode is provided via a gate insulating film formed between the source and drain regions on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the sidewall of the gate electrode excluding the exposed part formed at the upper part thereof facing the source and drain regions is covered with a sidewall insulating film, and an epitaxial film is formed on the exposed part of the sidewall of the gate electrode but not formed on a top surface of the gate electrode. An element isolation region formed on the semiconductor substrate is composed of a first insulating film formed in the semiconductor substrate and a second insulating film which is formed inside the first insulating film and has a lower epitaxial growth rate than that of the first insulating film, and the surface of the source and drain regions is covered with a silicon layer, part of which runs onto the surface of the first insulating film.

Abstract: A method of forming a LDMOS semiconductor device and structure for same. A preferred embodiment comprises forming a first guard ring around and proximate the drain of a LDMOS device, and forming a second guard ring around the first guard ring. The first guard ring comprises a P+ base guard ring, and the second guard ring comprises an N+ collector guard ring formed in a deep N-well, in one embodiment. The first guard ring and second guard ring prevent leakage current from flowing from the drain of the LDMOS device to the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are disclosed. A semiconductor device of one of several disclosed embodiments comprises a semiconductor layer having a source region and a drain region, and a gate insulating film provided on the semiconductor layer between the source region and the drain region. The gate insulating film comprising an oxide including a metal element and further includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and aluminum as a first element. The content of the first element is relatively higher at both ends near the source region and the drain region than at a center of the gate insulating film. A gate electrode is provided on the gate insulating film.

Abstract: A MOS transistor suitable for microscopic applications and a fabrication method thereof are disclosed. The fabrication method includes forming a trench by selectively etching a semiconductor substrate; forming a channel region consisting of a silicon layer with a predetermined width in the bottom of the trench and forming a gate oxide film on the channel region; forming a SiGe film on the gate oxide film and within the trench and burying the trench; forming a gate groove with a predetermined width to expose the gate oxide film by selectively etching the SiGe film; and forming a gate electrode by forming a silicon layer on the exposed gate oxide film such that the gate groove is buried.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for an integrated injection logic cell having a pnp bipolar transistor structure formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein at least one layer of insulating films formed on a base region of the pnp bipolar transistor structure is comprised of a silicon nitride film. The semiconductor device of the present invention is advantageous in that the silicon nitride film constituting at least one layer of the insulating films formed on the base region of the pnp bipolar transistor prevents an occurrence of contamination on the surface of the base region, so that both the properties of the pnp bipolar transistor and the operation of the IIL cell can be stabilized. Further, by the process of the present invention, the above-mentioned excellent semiconductor device can be produced.

Abstract: A memory may have access devices formed using a chalcogenide material. The access device does not induce a snapback voltage sufficient to cause read disturbs in the associated memory element being accessed. In the case of phase change memory elements, the snapback voltage may be less than the threshold voltage of the phase change memory element.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure having a textured nitride-based layer. The textured nitride-based layer can be formed above one or more crystalline nitride layers and a substrate, and can be formed into any desired pattern. The semiconductor structure can be incorporated as part of, for example, a field effect transistor, a light emitting diode, or a laser.

Abstract: A gate driver includes a control signal generator having a first input and configured to output a gate control signal to a power semiconductor switch. The gate control signal generator is provided proximate a high side of the gate driver. A first sub-circuit has a first signal path and a second signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The first and second signal paths are coupled to the first input of the gate control signal generator. The second signal path is configured to provide a signal to the first input with a reduced signal delay. A comparator is configured to receive signals from the high side. The comparator is provided proximate a low side of the gate driver.

Abstract: Integrated circuit antifuse circuitry is provided. A metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) antifuse transistor serves as an electrically-programmable antifuse. In its unprogrammed state, the antifuse transistor is off and has a relatively high resistance. During programming, the antifuse transistor is turned on which melts the underlying silicon and causes a permanent reduction in the transistor's resistance. A sensing circuit monitors the resistance of the antifuse transistor and supplies a high or low output signal accordingly. The antifuse transistor may be turned on during programming by raising the voltage at its substrate relative to its source. The substrate may be connected to ground through a resistor. The substrate may be biased by causing current to flow through the resistor. Current may be made to flow through the resistor by inducing avalanche breakdown of the drain-substrate junction or by producing Zener breakdown of external Zener diode circuitry connected to the resistor.

Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) gated diode and non-gated junction diode are provided. The SOI gated diode has a PN junction at the middle region under the gate, and which has more junction area than a normal diode. The SOI non-gated junction diode has a PN junction at the middle region thereof, and then also has more junction area than a normal diode. The SOI diodes of the present invention improve the protection level offered for electrical overstress (EOS)/electrostatic discharge (ESD) due to the low power density and heating for providing more junction area than normal ones. The I/O ESD protection circuits, which comprise primary diodes, a first plurality of diodes, and a second plurality of diodes, all of which are formed of the present SOI diodes, could effectively discharge the current when there is an ESD event. And, the ESD protection circuits, which comprise more primary diodes, could effectively reduce the parasitic input capacitance, so that they can be used in the RF circuits or HF circuits.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a carrier substrate, an integrated circuit chip mounted on the carrier substrate via bumps, and a capacitor provided to stabilize operation of the integrated circuit chip at high frequencies. In the semiconductor device, the capacitor is electrically connected to pads on bottom of the integrated circuit chip, and the capacitor is provided to have a height on the carrier substrate that is smaller than or equal to a height of the bumps on the carrier substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device adopting shallow trench isolation for reducing an internal stress of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device is composed of a semiconductor substrate provided with a trench for isolation, and an insulating film formed to cover the trench for relaxing an internal stress of the semiconductor substrate. The insulating film includes a first portion disposed to be opposed to a bottom of the trench, and a second portion disposed to be opposed to a side of the trench. A first thickness of the first portion is different from a second thickness of the second portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a manufacturing method to fabricate Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) that enables self-alignment of emitter and base metal contact layers with precise sub-micron spacing using a dielectric-assisted metal lift-off process. Such an HBT process relies on the formation of an “H-shaped” dielectric (i.e., Si3N4/SiO2) mask conformally deposited on top of the emitter contact metallization that is used to remove excess base metal through lift-off by a wet chemical HF-based etch. This HBT process also uses a thin selective etch-stop layer buried within the emitter layer to prevent wet chemical over-etching to the base and improves HBT reliability by forming a non-conducting, depleted ledge above the extrinsic base layer. The geometry of the self-aligned emitter and base metal contacts in the HBT insures conformal coverage of dielectric encapsulation films, preferably Si3N4 and/or SiO2, for reliable HBT emitter p-n junction passivation.

Abstract: The invention describes the fabrication and structure of an ESD protection device for integrated circuit semiconductor devices with improved ESD protection and resiliency. A vertical bipolar npn transistor forms the basis of the protection device. To handle the large current requirements of an ESD incident, the bipolar transistor has multiple base and emitter elements formed in an npn bipolar array. To assure turn-on of the multiple elements of the array the emitter fingers are continuously or contiguously connected with an unique emitter design layout. The contiguous emitter design provides an improved electrical emitter connection for the device, minimizing any unbalance that can potentially occur when using separate emitter fingers and improving the ability for the simultaneous turn on of the multiple emitter-base elements.

Abstract: Alignment marks of a semiconductor device, formed prior to a step of applying heat treatment in an oxygen atmosphere, include an insulating film, a groove formed in the insulating film during a step of defining a contactor hole in a device part, a metal film formed at least on sidewalls of the groove during a step of burying the contactor hole in the device part, and a cover film formed on the insulating film to cover the metal film formed in the groove for prevention of oxidation of the metal film during heat treatment applied in an oxygen atmosphere.

Abstract: A semiconductor package and a fabrication method thereof are provided in which a chip is mounted on a substrate, and a dielectric layer is applied over the substrate and chip, with bond fingers formed on the substrate and electric contacts formed on the chip being exposed outside. A metal layer is formed over the dielectric layer and the exposed bond fingers and electric contacts, and patterned to form a plurality of conductive traces that electrically connect the electric contacts of the chip to the bond fingers of the substrate. The conductive traces replace conventional wire bonding technology and thus eliminate the occurrence of wire sweep or short circuits in fabrication processes. Therefore, a low profile chip with a reduced pitch between adjacent electric contacts can be used without being limited to feasibility of the wire bonding technology.

Abstract: A substrate contains dissolved oxygen at a concentration of not more than 8×1017 atoms/cm3 and an impurity which is used as an acceptor or donor at a concentration of not more than 1×1015 atoms/cm3. In the substrate, an oxygen precipitation layer used to suppress occurrence of a slip starting from the rear surface of the substrate is formed. On the substrate, a silicon layer in which circuit elements are formed and which contains dissolved oxygen with at concentration of not more than 8×1017 atoms/cm3 and an impurity which is used as an acceptor or donor at a concentration of not more than 1×1015 atoms/cm3 is formed.