Abstract: One example discloses a finFet semiconductor device and corresponding manufacturing method is disclosed, the device comprising: a substrate having therein a body-region, a plurality of elongate fins at a first major surface and within the body-region; an oxide layer on the first major surface and partially surrounding a lower portion of the elongate fins; a gate contact extending across and partially surrounding an upper portion of the plurality of elongate fins; a dielectric material, between the fins and the gate region; a plurality of elongate partial fins, parallel thereto and having a height which is less than a height thereof; an elongate metal contact, extending into the substrate and in electrical contact with the partial fins, and forming a body-contact; wherein the elongate metal contact extends between the two of the elongate partial fins and below an upper surface thereof and fills a space therebetween.

Abstract: Embodiments of self-heating tracking circuits for a power amplifier (PA) are disclosed. In an embodiment, a self-heating tracking circuit for a PA includes a PA replica circuit in proximity to the PA and an estimation unit configured to estimate a self-heating time constant of the PA in response to turning on the PA replica circuit and turning off the PA replica circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor region of a first semiconductor type, formed within the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first semiconductor region includes a first doped region formed in a lower portion of the first semiconductor region and a second doped region formed over the first doped region in an upper portion of the first semiconductor region. A defect layer having an upper surface formed in an upper portion of the first doped region. A second semiconductor region of a second semiconductor type is formed over the first semiconductor region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of forming the same include a semiconductive fin protruding vertically from a body region and extending along a first direction, an insulator material above the body region and surrounding a lower portion of the fin, and a gap region between first and second ends of the semiconductive fin where at least a top portion of the semiconductive fin is absent. The device includes current terminals coupled to first and second ends of the fin, and a gate electrode and a gate extension coupled to the fin. The gate electrode surrounds the top portion of the semiconductive fin and is separated from the semiconductive by a gate insulator material. The gate extension has a first end adjacent to the gate electrode and a second end above the body region within the gap region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor region of a first semiconductor type, formed within the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first semiconductor region includes a first doped region formed in a lower portion of the first semiconductor region and a second doped region formed over the first doped region in an upper portion of the first semiconductor region. A defect layer having an upper surface formed in an upper portion of the first doped region. A second semiconductor region of a second semiconductor type is formed over the first semiconductor region.

Abstract: A fringe capacitor comprises a plurality of unidirectional metal layers, wherein an orientation of a preferred direction of each of the unidirectional metal layers is in a same direction. First fingers of the fringe capacitor are formed in a first layer of the unidirectional metal layers, the first fingers being interdigitated and having a direction parallel to the orientation of the preferred direction. Second fingers of the fringe capacitor are formed in a second layer of the unidirectional metal layers, the second fingers being interdigitated and having a direction parallel to the orientation of the preferred direction, the first layer and the second layer separated by at least a layer of not having the orientation of the preferred direction and not having fingers of the fringe capacitor.

Abstract: A fringe capacitor comprises a plurality of unidirectional metal layers, wherein an orientation of a preferred direction of each of the unidirectional metal layers is in a same direction. First fingers of the fringe capacitor are formed in a first layer of the unidirectional metal layers, the first fingers being interdigitated and having a direction parallel to the orientation of the preferred direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a pn junction diode and a method of making the same. The device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type. The device also includes a buried oxide layer located in the substrate. The device further includes a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type extending beneath the buried oxide layer to form a pn junction with a semiconductor region having the first conductivity type. The pn junction is located beneath the buried oxide layer and extends substantially orthogonally with respect to a major surface of the substrate. The device also includes a field plate electrode comprising a semiconductor region located above the buried oxide layer for modifying an electric field at the pn junction by application of a potential to the field plate electrode.

Abstract: A Field Effect Transistor (FET) capable of operating at high frequencies and includes comb-shaped source and drain electrodes. The comb-shaped drain electrode includes a plurality of thin comb-shape drain electrode layers at corresponding levels of the FET, each comb-shaped drain electrode layer including a plurality of drain electrode fingers having substantially the same width as the comb-shaped drain electrodes of each other layer. The comb-shaped source electrode includes a plurality of comb-shape source electrode layers at the corresponding levels, each comb-shaped drain electrode layer including a plurality of drain electrode fingers having substantially the same width as the comb-shaped source electrodes of each other layer. In addition, the inter-level retraction of adjacent drain electrode layers is the same or substantially the same. Similarly, the inter-level retraction of adjacent source electrode layers is the same or substantially the same.

Abstract: A Field Effect Transistor (FET) capable of operating at high frequencies and includes comb-shaped source and drain electrodes. The comb-shaped drain electrode includes a plurality of thin comb-shape drain electrode layers at corresponding levels of the FET, each comb-shaped drain electrode layer including a plurality of drain electrode fingers having substantially the same width as the comb-shaped drain electrodes of each other layer. The comb-shaped source electrode includes a plurality of comb-shape source electrode layers at the corresponding levels, each comb-shaped drain electrode layer including a plurality of drain electrode fingers having substantially the same width as the comb-shaped source electrodes of each other layer. In addition, the inter-level retraction of adjacent drain electrode layers is the same or substantially the same. Similarly, the inter-level retraction of adjacent source electrode layers is the same or substantially the same.

Abstract: Embodiments of devices and method for detecting semiconductor substrate thickness are disclosed. In an embodiment, an IC device includes a semiconductor substrate, a charge emitter embedded in the semiconductor substrate and configured to produce an electrical charge in the semiconductor substrate and a charge sensor embedded in the semiconductor substrate and configured to generate a response signal in response to the electrical charge produced in the semiconductor substrate. The magnitude of the response signal depends on the thickness of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer on a substrate, the first dielectric layer including a first dielectric portion over a first doped well region of a first conductivity type and a second dielectric portion over a second doped well region of a second conductivity type, and a second dielectric layer on the substrate directly adjacent the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is over the second doped well region. A first conductive gate structure is over the first and second dielectric layers. A third dielectric layer is on the substrate over the second doped well region and separated a first distance from the second dielectric layer. A second conductive gate structure is over the third dielectric layer. A third doped region of the second conductivity type is implanted in the second doped well region a second distance from the third dielectric layer and the second conductive gate structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first dielectric layer on a substrate, the first dielectric layer including a first dielectric portion over a first doped well region of a first conductivity type and a second dielectric portion over a second doped well region of a second conductivity type, and a second dielectric layer on the substrate directly adjacent the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is over the second doped well region. A first conductive gate structure is over the first and second dielectric layers. A third dielectric layer is on the substrate over the second doped well region and separated a first distance from the second dielectric layer. A second conductive gate structure is over the third dielectric layer. A third doped region of the second conductivity type is implanted in the second doped well region a second distance from the third dielectric layer and the second conductive gate structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transistor having a first region of a first conductivity type for injecting charge carriers into the transistor and a laterally extended second region of the first conductivity type having a portion including a contact terminal for draining said charge carriers from the transistor, wherein the first region is separated from the second region by an intermediate region of a second conductivity type defining a first p-n junction with the first region and a second p-n junction with the second region, wherein the laterally extended region separates the portion from the second p-n junction, and wherein the transistor further comprises a substrate having a doped region of the second conductivity type, said doped region being in contact with and extending along the laterally extended second region and a further contact terminal connected to the doped region for draining minority charge carriers from the laterally extended second region.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to bipolar transistor devices and a method of fabricating the same. The device comprises a field plate, in an isolation region adjacent to a base-collector junction of said active region. The isolation region comprises a gate terminal arranged to be biased independently of a collector, base or emitter terminal of said transistor.

Abstract: Embodiments of devices and method for detecting semiconductor substrate thickness are disclosed. In an embodiment, an IC device includes a semiconductor substrate, a charge emitter embedded in the semiconductor substrate and configured to produce an electrical charge in the semiconductor substrate and a charge sensor embedded in the semiconductor substrate and configured to generate a response signal in response to the electrical charge produced in the semiconductor substrate. The magnitude of the response signal depends on the thickness of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a bipolar transistor and a method of making the same. The bipolar transistor includes a collector having a laterally extending drift region. The bipolar transistor also includes a base located above the collector. The bipolar transistor further includes an emitter located above the base. The bipolar transistor also includes a reduced surface field (RESURF) gate located above an upper surface of the laterally extending drift region for shaping an electric field within the collector. The bipolar transistor further includes a gap located between the reduced surface field gate and an extrinsic region of the base of the device, for electrically isolating the reduced surface field gate from the base. A lateral dimension Lgap of the gap is in the range 0.1 ?m?Lgap?1.0 ?m.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to bipolar transistor devices and a method of fabricating the same. The device comprises a field plate, in an isolation region adjacent to a base-collector junction of said active region. The isolation region comprises a gate terminal arranged to be biased independently of a collector, base or emitter terminal of said transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a bipolar transistor and a method of making the same. A power amplifier including a bipolar transistor. The bipolar transistor includes a collector including a laterally extending drift region. The also includes a base located above the collector. The bipolar transistor further includes an emitter located above the base. The bipolar transistor also includes a doped region having a conductivity type that is different to that of the collector. The doped region extends laterally beneath the collector to form a junction at a region of contact between the doped region and the collector. The doped region has a non-uniform lateral doping profile. A doping level of the doped region is highest in a part of the doped region closest to a collector-base junction of the bipolar transistor.

Abstract: A circuit, comprising a semiconductor device with one or more field gate terminals for controlling the electric field in a drift region of the semiconductor device; and a feedback circuit configured to dynamically control a bias voltage or voltages applied to the field gate terminal or terminals, with different control voltages used for different semiconductor device characteristics in real-time in response to a time-varying signal at a further node in the circuit.