Abstract: A semiconductor body comprises a protective structure. The protective structure (10) comprises a first and a second region (11, 12) which have a first conductivity type and a third region (13) that has a second conductivity type. The second conductivity type is opposite the first conductivity type. The first and the second region (11, 12) are arranged spaced apart in the third region (13), so that a current flow from the first region (11) to the second region (12) is made possible for the limiting of a voltage difference between the first and the second region (11, 12). The protective structure comprises an insulator (14) that is arranged on the semiconductor body (9) and an electrode (16) that is constructed with floating potential and is arranged on the insulator (14).

Abstract: An electrical component, in the crystalline semiconductor body of which several CMOS transistors in high-voltage or low-voltage technology are formed. The individual CMOS transistors are separated from one another by insulation regions. On one insulation region, a thin-film transistor is formed, having a gate that is realized simultaneously with the gates of the CMOS transistors from the same polysilicon layer. The gate oxide of the thin-film transistor, just like a second polysilicon layer for source drain and body of the thin-film transistor, can be produced together with the structural elements already present in the CMOS process.

Abstract: A method of forming an isolation region is provided that in one embodiment substantially reduces divot formation. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a first pad dielectric layer on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming a trench through the first pad dielectric layer into the semiconductor substrate. In a following process sequence, the first pad dielectric layer is laterally etched to expose an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate that is adjacent the trench, and the trench is filled with a trench dielectric material, wherein the trench dielectric material extends atop the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate adjacent the trench and abuts the pad dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method, in which a first isolating trench, filled with a dielectric material, and a second conducting trench, filled with an electrically conductive material, can be produced. To this end, the first and second trenches are etched with different trench widths, so that the first trench is filled completely with the dielectric material after a deposition of a dielectric layer over the entire surface with the edges covered, whereas the wider second trench is covered by the dielectric layer only on the inside walls. By anisotropic back-etching of the dielectric layer, the semiconductor substrate is exposed at the bottom of the second trench. Subsequently, the second trench is filled with an electrically conductive material and then represents a low-ohmic connection from the substrate surface to the buried structure located below the second trench.

Abstract: An electrical component, in the crystalline semiconductor body of which several CMOS transistors in high-voltage or low-voltage technology are formed. The individual CMOS transistors are separated from one another by insulation regions. On one insulation region, a thin-film transistor is formed, having a gate that is realized simultaneously with the gates of the CMOS transistors from the same polysilicon layer. The gate oxide of the thin-film transistor, just like a second polysilicon layer for source drain and body of the thin-film transistor, can be produced together with the structural elements already present in the CMOS process.

Abstract: A light-sensitive component which has a semiconductor junction between a thin relatively highly doped epitaxial layer and a relatively lightly doped semiconductor substrate. Outside a light incidence window, an insulating layer is arranged between epitaxial layer and semiconductor substrate. In this case, the thickness of the epitaxial layer is less than 50 nm, with the result that a large proportion of the light quanta incident in the light incidence window can be absorbed in the lightly doped semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In order to detect light with in particular a high blue component, the inversion zone and the space charge zone of a CMOS-like structure are used. In conjunction with an at least partly transparent gate electrode, in particular a transparent conductive oxide or a patterned gate electrode, it becomes possible to absorb the short-wave component of incident light within the inversion zone and to reliably conduct away the generated charge carrier pairs to first and second contacts. During operation, a control voltage is applied to the gate electrode with a magnitude that generates a continuous inversion zone below the optionally patterned gate electrode.

Abstract: In order to protect a semiconductor component against overvoltages, the steps which are used for production of bipolar transistors and CMOS structures in the semiconductor component are used for integrated parallel production of a zener diode. This has a first and a second n-doped zone, which extend between the surface of a semiconductor substrate and an n-doped buried region. The first n-doped zone is oppositely doped with p-doping in an area adjacent to the surface, and represents a p-doped region. A first contact is provided to the p-doped region, and a contact is on the other hand provided to the second n-doped zone, with the two contents forming the two connections of the zener diode.

Abstract: A method for producing structures in chips is realized by carrying out a sequence of structuring steps in a self-adjusting manner. By structuring a first auxiliary layer applied on a substrate, a first masking structure is formed after a first masking procedure, which first masking structure has at least one partial region projecting beyond the surface of the substrate. After this, a further structuring step is carried out, for instance, by etching, implantation or CVD, using the previously produced first masking structure as a mask. After this, the first masking structure with a view to forming a second masking structure is inverted by applying at least one second auxiliary layer onto the first masking structure. The thus formed structure is at least partially taken off and the thus denuded first auxiliary layer is selectively removed, whereupon the second masking structure is used as a mask for a further structuring step.

Abstract: A method for producing structures in chips is realized by carrying out a sequence of structuring steps in a self-adjusting manner. By structuring a first auxiliary layer applied on a substrate, a first masking structure is formed after a first masking procedure, which first masking structure has at least one partial region projecting beyond the surface of the substrate. After this, a further structuring step is carried out, for instance, by etching, implantation or CVD, using the previously produced first masking structure as a mask. After this, the first masking structure with a view to forming a second masking structure is inverted by applying at least one second auxiliary layer onto the first masking structure. The thus formed structure is at least partially taken off and the thus denuded first auxiliary layer is selectively removed, whereupon the second masking structure is used as a mask for a further structuring step.