Abstract: A trench-isolated RESURF diode structure (100) is provided which includes a substrate (150) in which is formed anode (130, 132) and cathode (131) contact regions separated from one another by a shallow trench isolation region (114, 115), along with a buried cathode extension region (104) formed under a RESURF anode extension region (106, 107) such that the cathode extension region (104) extends beyond the cathode contact (131) to be sandwiched between upper and lower regions (103, 106, 107) of opposite conductivity type.

Abstract: The invention provides a working trough and a method for maintaining a uniform temperature of a working fluid. The working trough is applied to an electrical discharge machine that performs wire cutting using the working fluid. The method for maintaining a uniform temperature of the working fluid is applied to the working trough and characterized by forming opening structures in a receiving slot of the working trough such that a spiral swirl having a predetermined height is allowed to be formed in the working fluid, thereby maintaining a uniform temperature of the working fluid in the receiving slot when a wire cutting process is performed in the working fluid by the electrical discharge machine. The disturbance of the spiral swirl also facilitates the discharge of scraps. The present invention further has an advantage of low cost.

Abstract: Semiconductor device structures and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary semiconductor device structure includes a first vertical drift region of semiconductor material, a second vertical drift region of semiconductor material, and a buried lateral drift region of semiconductor material that abuts the vertical drift regions. In one or more embodiments, the vertical drift regions and buried lateral drift region have the same conductivity type, wherein a body region of the opposite conductivity type overlies the buried lateral drift region between the vertical drift regions.

Abstract: An improved device (20) is provided, comprising, merged vertical (251) and lateral transistors (252), comprising thin collector regions (34) of a first conductivity type sandwiched between upper (362) and lower (30) base regions of opposite conductivity type that are Ohmically coupled via intermediate regions (32, 361) of the same conductivity type and to the base contact (38). The emitter (40) is provided in the upper base region (362) and the collector contact (42) is provided in outlying sinker regions (28) extending to the thin collector regions (34) and an underlying buried layer (28). As the collector voltage increases part of the thin collector regions (34) become depleted of carriers from the top by the upper (362) and from the bottom by the lower (30) base regions. This clamps the thin collector regions' (34) voltage well below the breakdown voltage of the PN junction formed between the buried layer (28) and the lower base region (30).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a bipolar transistor including emitter and base regions having first and second conductivity types, respectively, includes forming an isolation region at a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the isolation region having an edge that defines a boundary of an active area of the emitter region, and implanting dopant of the second conductivity type through a mask opening to form the base region in the semiconductor substrate. The mask opening spans the edge of the isolation region such that an extent to which the dopant passes through the isolation region varies laterally to establish a variable depth contour of the base region.

Abstract: A disclosed Zener diode includes, in one embodiment, an anode region and a cathode region that form a shallow sub-surface latitudinal Zener junction. The Zener diode may further include an anode contact region interconnecting the anode region with a contact located away from the Zener junction region and a silicide blocking structure overlying the anode region. The Zener diode may also include one or more shallow, sub-surface longitudinal p-n junctions at the junctions between lateral edges of the cathode region and the adjacent region. The adjacent region may be a heavily doped region such as the anode contact region. In other embodiments, the Zener diode may include a breakdown voltage boost region comprising a more lightly doped region located between the cathode region and the anode contact region.

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor substrate, first and second electrodes supported by the semiconductor substrate, laterally spaced from one another, and disposed at a surface of the semiconductor substrate to form an Ohmic contact and a Schottky junction, respectively. The device further includes a conduction path region in the semiconductor substrate, having a first conductivity type, and disposed along a conduction path between the first and second electrodes, a buried region in the semiconductor substrate having a second conductivity type and disposed below the conduction path region, and a device isolating region electrically coupled to the buried region, having the second conductivity type, and defining a lateral boundary of the device. The device isolating region is electrically coupled to the second electrode such that a voltage at the second electrode during operation is applied to the buried region to deplete the conduction path region.

Abstract: A feed control method for wire cutting electrochemical discharge machining is disclosed. The method determines whether a contact event has occurred using a wire electrode, based on variations in wire tension when being cut. A wire is cut with an ideal feed speed when the wire electrode is not in contact with a workpiece.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor having an upper surface, comprises a multilevel collector structure formed in a base region of opposite conductivity type and having a first part of a first vertical extent coupled to a collector contact, an adjacent second part having a second vertical extent a third part of a third vertical extent and desirably of a depth different from a depth of the second part, coupled to the second part by a fourth part desirably having a fourth vertical extent less than the third vertical extent. A first base region portion overlies the second part, a second base region portion separates the third part from an overlying base contact region, and other base region portions laterally surround and underlie the multilevel collector structure. An emitter proximate the upper surface is laterally spaced from the multilevel collector structure. This combination provides improved gain, Early Voltage and breakdown voltages.

Abstract: Instability and drift sometimes observed in bipolar transistors, having a portion of the base extending to the transistor surface between the emitter and base contact, can be reduced or eliminated by providing a further doped region of the same conductivity type as the emitter at the transistor surface between the emitter and the base contact. The further region is desirably more heavily doped than the base region at the surface and less heavily doped than the adjacent emitter. In another embodiment, a still or yet further region of the same conductivity type as the emitter is provided either between the further region and the emitter or laterally within the emitter. The still or yet further region is desirably more heavily doped than the further region. Such further regions shield the near surface base region from trapped charge that may be present in dielectric layers or interfaces overlying the transistor surface.

Abstract: A higher breakdown voltage transistor has separated emitter, base contact, and collector contact. Underlying the emitter and the base contact are, respectively, first and second base portions of a first conductivity type. Underlying and coupled to the collector contact is a collector region of a second, opposite, conductivity type, having a central portion extending laterally toward, underneath, or beyond the base contact and separated therefrom by the second base portion. A floating collector region of the same conductivity type as the collector region underlies and is separated from the emitter by the first base portion. The collector and floating collector regions are separated by a part of the semiconductor (SC) region in which the base is formed. A further part of the SC region in which the base is formed, laterally bounds or encloses the collector region.

Abstract: A Schottky diode includes a device structure having a central portion and a plurality of fingers. Distal portions of the fingers overlie leakage current control (LCC) regions. An LCC region is relatively narrow and deep, terminating in proximity to a buried layer of like polarity. Under reverse bias, depletion regions forming in an active region lying between the buried layer and the LCC regions occupy the entire extent of the active region and thereby provide a carrier depleted wall. An analogous depletion region occurs in the active region residing between any pair of adjacent fingers. If the fingers include latitudinal oriented fingers and longitudinal oriented fingers, depletion region blockades in three different orthogonal orientations may occur. The formation of the LCC regions may include the use of a high dose, low energy phosphorous implant using an LCC implant mask and the isolation structures as an additional hard mask.

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor substrate, source and drain regions in the semiconductor substrate, a channel region in the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through which charge carriers flow during operation from the source region to the drain region, and a drift region in the semiconductor substrate, on which the drain region is disposed, and through which the charge carriers drift under an electric field arising from application of a bias voltage between the source and drain regions. A PN junction along the drift region includes a first section at the drain region and a second section not at the drain region. The drift region has a lateral profile that varies such that the first section of the PN junction is shallower than the second section of the PN junction.

Abstract: Adverse tradeoff between BVDSS and Rdson in LDMOS devices employing a drift space (52, 152) adjacent the drain (56, 156), is avoided by providing a lightly doped region (511, 1511) of a first conductivity type (CT) separating the first CT drift space (52, 152) from an opposite CT WELL region (53, 153) in which the first CT source (57, 157) is located, and a further region (60, 160) of the opposite CT (e.g., formed by an angled implant) extending through part of the WELL region (53, 153) under an edge (591, 1591) of the gate (59, 159) located near a boundary (531, 1531) of the WELL region (53, 153) into the lightly doped region (511, 1511), and a shallow still further region (66, 166) of the first CT Ohmically coupled to the source (57, 157) and ending near the gate edge (591, 159) whereby the effective channel length (61, 161) in the further region (60, 160) is reduced to near zero.

Abstract: Insufficient gain in bipolar transistors (20) is improved by providing an alloyed (e.g., silicided) emitter contact (452) smaller than the overall emitter (42) area. The improved emitter (42) has a first emitter (FE) portion (42-1) of a first dopant concentration CFE, and a second emitter (SE) portion (42-2) of a second dopant concentration CSE. Preferably CSE?CFE. The SE portion (42-2) desirably comprises multiple sub-regions (45i, 45j, 45k) mixed with multiple sub-regions (47m, 47n, 47p) of the FE portion (42-1). A semiconductor-metal alloy or compound (e.g., a silicide) is desirably used for Ohmic contact (452) to the SE portion (42-2) but substantially not to the FE portion (42-1). Including the FE portion (42-1) electrically coupled to the SE portion (42-2) but not substantially contacting the emitter contact (452) on the SE portion (42-2) provides gain increases of as much as ˜278.

Abstract: Insufficient gain in bipolar transistors (20) is improved by providing an alloyed (e.g., silicided) emitter contact (452) smaller than the overall emitter (42) area. The improved emitter (42) has a first emitter (FE) portion (42-1) of a first dopant concentration CFE, and a second emitter (SE) portion (42-2) of a second dopant concentration CSE. Preferably CSE?CFE. The SE portion (42-2) desirably comprises multiple sub-regions (45i, 45j, 45k) mixed with multiple sub-regions (47m, 47n, 47p) of the FE portion (42-1). A semiconductor-metal alloy or compound (e.g., a silicide) is desirably used for Ohmic contact (452) to the SE portion (42-2) but substantially not to the FE portion (42-1). Including the FE portion (42-1) electrically coupled to the SE portion (42-2) but not substantially contacting the emitter contact (452) on the SE portion (42-2) provides gain increases of as much as ˜278.

Abstract: A light component includes a printed circuit board and a plurality of lighting emitting diodes (LEDs). The printed circuit board has a metal substrate. The LEDs are disposed on the printed circuit board, wherein two opposite edges of the metal substrate protrude out and are bent towards the LEDs to form two metal clamps.

Abstract: Insufficient gain in bipolar transistors (20) is improved by providing an alloyed (e.g., silicided) emitter contact (452) smaller than the overall emitter (42) area. The improved emitter (42) has a first emitter (FE) portion (42-1) of a first dopant concentration CFE, and a second emitter (SE) portion (42-2) of a second dopant concentration CSE. Preferably CSE?CFE. The SE portion (42-2) desirably comprises multiple sub-regions (45i, 45j, 45k) mixed with multiple sub-regions (47m, 47n, 47p) of the FE portion (42-1). A semiconductor-metal alloy or compound (e.g., a silicide) is desirably used for Ohmic contact (452) to the SE portion (42-2) but substantially not to the FE portion (42-1). Including the FE portion (42-1) electrically coupled to the SE portion (42-2) but not substantially contacting the emitter contact (452) on the SE portion (42-2) provides gain increases of as much as ˜278.

Abstract: A single-poly non-volatile memory includes a PMOS select transistor (210) formed with a select gate (212), and P+ source and drain regions (211, 213) formed in a shared n-well region (240), a serially connected PMOS floating gate transistor (220) formed with part of a p-type floating gate layer (222) and P+ source and drain regions (221, 223) formed in the shared n-well region (240), and a coupling capacitor (230) formed over a p-well region (250) and connected to the PMOS floating gate transistor (220), where the coupling capacitor (230) includes a first capacitor plate formed with a second part of the p-type floating gate layer (222) and an underlying portion of the p-well region (250).