Abstract: Extrinsic structures formed outside the active regions of active devices can influence aging characteristics and performance of the active devices. An example integrated device including such an intrinsic structure includes a semiconductor device having an active region in a conduction layer, an isolation region in the conduction layer, an insulating layer formed over at least a portion of the active region and over at least a portion of the isolation region, a via outside the active region, and a conductive interconnect. The isolation region extends around the semiconductor device in an area outside the active region. The via extends through the insulating layer and down to the isolation region in the conduction layer, and the conductive interconnect is formed directly on the isolation region in the conduction layer.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and devices in III-nitride materials are described herein, including material structures comprising III-nitride material regions (e.g., gallium nitride material regions). In certain cases, the material structures comprise substrates having relatively high electrical conductivities. In other cases, the material structures comprise substrates having relatively high resistivities. Certain embodiments include one or more features that reduce the degree to which thermal runaway occurs, which can enhance device performance including at elevated flange temperatures. Some embodiments include one or more features that reduce the degree of capacitive coupling exhibited during operation. For example, in some embodiments, relatively thick III-nitride material regions and/or relatively small ohmic contacts are employed.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed for improved and structurally optimized transistors, such as RF power amplifier transistors. A transistor may include a drain metal portion raised from a surface of a substrate, a drain metal having a notched region, a gate manifold body with angled gate tabs extending from the gate manifold, and/or a source-connected shielding. The transistor may include a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), a gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon transistor, a GaN-on-silicon-carbide transistor, or other type of transistor.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures with reduced parasitic capacitance between interconnects and ground, for example, are described. In one case, a semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a low dielectric constant material region in the substrate. The low dielectric constant material region is positioned between a first device area in the semiconductor structure and a second device area in the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a III-nitride material layer over the substrate. The III-nitride material layer extends over the substrate in the first device area, over the low dielectric constant material region, and over the substrate in the second device area. The semiconductor structure can also include a first device formed in the III-nitride material layer in the first device area, a second device in the III-nitride material layer in the second device area, and an interconnect formed over the low dielectric constant material region.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to heterolithic microwave integrated circuits HMICs are described. An HMIC can include different semiconductor devices formed from different semiconductor systems in different regions of a same substrate. An HMIC can also include bulk regions of low-loss electrically-insulating material extending through the substrate and located between the different semiconductor regions. Passive RF circuit elements can be formed on the low-loss electrically-insulating material.

Abstract: Structures for suppressing parasitic acoustic waves in semiconductor structures and integrated circuit devices are described. Such integrated circuit devices can, typically, produce undesirable acoustic wave resonances, and the acoustic waves can degrade the performance of the devices. In that context, some embodiments described herein relate to spoiling a conductive path that participates in the generation of acoustic waves. Some embodiments relate to spoiling acoustic characteristics of an acoustic resonant structure that may be present in the vicinity of the device. Combined embodiments that spoil the conductive path and acoustic characteristics are also possible.

Abstract: Various integrated circuits formed using gallium nitride and other materials are described. In one example, an integrated circuit includes a first integrated device formed over a first semiconductor structure in a first region of the integrated circuit, a second integrated device formed over a second semiconductor structure in a second region of the integrated circuit, and a passive component formed over a third region of the integrated circuit, between the first region and the second region. The third region comprises an insulating material, which can be glass in some cases. The insulating material extends through the semiconductor substrate and separates the semiconductor substrate between the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure.

Abstract: Various methods of forming integrated circuits formed using gallium nitride and other materials are described. An example method includes forming a first integrated device over a first semiconductor structure in a first region of the integrated circuit, forming a second integrated device over a second semiconductor structure in a second region of the integrated circuit, etching a cavity in a third region of the of the integrated circuit located between the first region and the second region, filling the cavity with an insulating material, and forming a passive component over the insulating material in the third region of the integrated circuit. In other aspects, the method can include grinding a back side of a semiconductor substrate of the integrated circuit to electrically isolate the first semiconductor structure from the second semiconductor structure and, after the grinding, forming a ground plane over the back side of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A power amplifier has an amplifier cell with an input terminal receiving an input signal and an output terminal providing an output signal. A bias network is coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier cell to provide a bias signal to the amplifier cell. A shutdown circuit is coupled to the bias network to disable the bias network in response to the input signal. The shutdown circuit has a transistor with a first conduction terminal coupled to the bias network, a second conduction terminal coupled to a power supply terminal. The shutdown circuit further has a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the input terminal, and a second resistor with a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first resistor at a node, and a second terminal coupled to the power supply terminal. The control terminal of the transistor is coupled to the node.

Abstract: A number of integrated circuits and methods of manufacturing the integrated circuits are described. An integrated circuit can include different semiconductor devices formed from different semiconductor systems in different regions over the same substrate. The integrated circuit can also include bulk regions of low-loss electrically-insulating material extending through the substrate and located between the different semiconductor regions. Passive RF circuit elements can be formed on the low-loss electrically-insulating material.

Abstract: Various integrated circuits formed using gallium nitride and other materials are described. In one example, an integrated circuit includes a first integrated device formed over a first semiconductor structure in a first region of the integrated circuit, a second integrated device formed over a second semiconductor structure in a second region of the integrated circuit, and a passive component formed over a third region of the integrated circuit, between the first region and the second region. The third region comprises an insulating material, which can be glass in some cases. Further, the passive component can be formed over the glass in the third region. The integrated circuit is designed to avoid electromagnetic coupling between the passive component, during operation of the integrated circuit, and interfacial parasitic conductive layers existing in the first and second semiconductor structures, to improve performance.

Abstract: Various aspects of integrated amplifiers, layouts for the integrated amplifiers, and packaged arrangements of the amplifiers are described. In one example, an amplifier includes an amplifier cell, and a biasing network coupled to the common gate transistor in the amplifier cell. The amplifier cell includes a common source transistor and a common gate transistor in a cascode arrangement, where at least one of the common source transistor and the common gate transistor comprises a field plate. Among other advantages, the amplifiers described herein can be biased with relatively high voltages and still operate like a single a common source transistor, without sacrificing reliability, performance, or requiring additional off-chip components, such as biasing networks of resistors and inductors.

Abstract: Examples of integrated semiconductor devices are described. In one example, an integrated device includes first and second transistors formed on a substrate, where the transistors share a terminal metal feature to reduce a size of the integrated device. The terminal metal feature can include a shared source electrode metalization, for example, although other electrode metalizations can be shared. In other aspects, a first width of a gate of the first transistor can be greater than a second width of a gate of the second transistor, and the shared metalization can taper from the first width to the second width. The integrated device can also include a metal ground plane on a backside of the substrate, and the terminal metal feature can also include an in-source via for the shared source electrode metalization. The in-source via can electrically couple the shared source electrode metalization to the metal ground plane.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a device, such as a GaN or AlGaN device is described. In one example, a method to form the structure includes providing a substrate including gallium nitride material, forming an insulating layer over a surface of the substrate, forming an opening in the insulating layer to expose a surface region of the substrate, depositing a barrier metal layer over the insulating layer and onto the surface region of the substrate through the opening, and depositing a conducting metal layer over the barrier metal layer. In one case, the barrier metal layer includes a layer of tungsten nitride. The layer of tungsten nitride is deposited over the insulating layer and onto the surface region of the substrate using atomic layer deposition. The barrier metal layer prevents lower barrier height metals in the conducting metal layer, for example, from reaching the surface of the gallium nitride material substrate.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to heterolithic microwave integrated circuits HMICs are described. An HMIC can include different semiconductor devices formed from different semiconductor systems in different regions of a same substrate. An HMIC can also include bulk regions of low-loss electrically-insulating material extending through the substrate and located between the different semiconductor regions. Passive RF circuit elements can be formed on the low-loss electrically-insulating material.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures with reduced parasitic capacitance between interconnects and ground, for example, are described. In one case, a semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a low dielectric constant material region in the substrate. The low dielectric constant material region is positioned between a first device area in the semiconductor structure and a second device area in the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a III-nitride material layer over the substrate. The III-nitride material layer extends over the substrate in the first device area, over the low dielectric constant material region, and over the substrate in the second device area. The semiconductor structure can also include a first device formed in the III-nitride material layer in the first device area, a second device in the III-nitride material layer in the second device area, and an interconnect formed over the low dielectric constant material region.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrode structure for a device, such as a GaN or AlGaN device is described. In one example, the method includes providing a substrate (212) of GaN or AlGaN with a surface region of the GaN or AlGaN exposed through an opening (216) in a layer of silicon nitride (214) formed on the substrate. The method further includes depositing layers of W (222), in one example, or Ni (220) and W (222), in another example, on the substrate and the layer of silicon nitride using reactive evaporation and photoresist layers (230) having an undercut profile for liftoff. The method further includes removing the photoresist layers having the undercut profile, and depositing layers of WN (224) and Al over the underlying layers of W or Ni and W by sputtering.

Abstract: Examples of integrated semiconductor devices are described. In one example, an integrated device includes first and second transistors formed on a substrate, where the transistors share a terminal metal feature to reduce a size of the integrated device. The terminal metal feature can include a shared source electrode metalization, for example, although other electrode metalizations can be shared. In other aspects, a first width of a gate of the first transistor can be greater than a second width of a gate of the second transistor, and the shared metalization can taper from the first width to the second width. The integrated device can also include a metal ground plane on a backside of the substrate, and the terminal metal feature can also include an in-source via for the shared source electrode metalization. The in-source via can electrically couple the shared source electrode metalization to the metal ground plane.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed for improved and structurally optimized transistors, such as RF power amplifier transistors. A transistor may include a drain metal portion raised from a surface of a substrate, a drain metal having a notched region, a gate manifold body with angled gate tabs extending from the gate manifold, and/or a source-connected shielding. The transistor may include a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), a gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon transistor, a GaN-on-silicon-carbide transistor, or other type of transistor.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor structure includes defining one or more device areas and one or more interconnect areas on a silicon substrate, forming trenches in the interconnect areas of the silicon substrate, oxidizing the silicon substrate in the trenches to form silicon dioxide regions, forming a III-nitride material layer on the surface of the silicon substrate, forming devices in the device areas of the gallium nitride layer, and forming interconnects in the interconnect areas. The silicon dioxide regions reduce parasitic capacitance between the interconnects and ground.