Abstract: According to some embodiments of the disclosure, a semiconductor structure includes a first alignment region defined in a substrate layer and a first frame at edges of the first alignment region. A first alignment mark is in the first alignment region and bordered by the first frame. According to some embodiments of the disclosure, a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming an isolation structure over a substrate layer in a first alignment region. A process layer is formed over the isolation structure. A patterned mask is formed over the process layer. The process layer is patterned using the patterned mask as a template to form a first frame at edges of the first alignment region and a first alignment mark in the first alignment region and bordered by the first frame.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active area with a source and a drain, a gate oxide disposed on a portion of the active area between the source and the drain, and a gate is disposed over the gate oxide. In a noise suppressing structure, edge oxide regions are disposed on the gate oxide with edges of the edge oxide regions coinciding with the active area edges, and the gate is disposed over the edge oxide regions. In another noise suppressing structure, first and second active area edge extensions of respective first and second active area edges increase a width in the transverse direction of the active area at the edge extensions to a width greater than a minimum width of the active area in the transverse direction. The gate does not completely cover the first and second active area edge extensions along the channel direction.