Including High Voltage Or High Power Devices Isolated From Low Voltage Or Low Power Devices In The Same Integrated Circuit Patents (Class 257/500)
  • Patent number: 8378332
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of manufacturing the apparatus. The apparatus includes a main nanowire and branch nanowires emanating from the main nanowire. The main nanowire may have a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may have a first carrier concentration and the second portion may have a second carrier concentration, different to the first carrier concentration. Each branch nanowire may emanate from the first portion of the main nanowire. Each branch nanowire may emanate from the main nanowire at a substantially fixed distance along a length of the main nanowire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Samiul Haque, Richard White
  • Patent number: 8357993
    Abstract: An ultra-high voltage device has a high voltage path established from a high voltage N-well through a first metal layer to a second metal layer, and a contact plug electrically connected between the high voltage N-well and the first metal layer. The contact plug has a distributed structure on a horizontal layout to improve the uniformity of the ultra-high voltage device such that the current in the high voltage path will be more uniform distributed so as to avoid the localized heat concentration caused by non-uniform current distribution that would damage the ultra-high voltage device. Multiple fuse apparatus are preferably connected to the first metal layer individually. Each the fuse apparatus includes a poly fuse to be burnt down when an over-load current flows therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Jian-Hsing Lee
  • Patent number: 8354662
    Abstract: The invention relates to semiconducting nanoparticles. The nanoparticles of the invention comprise a single element or a compound of elements in one or more of groups II, III, IV, V, VI. The nanoparticles have a size in the range of 1 nm to 500 nm, and comprise from 0.1 to 20 atomic percent of oxygen or hydrogen. The nanoparticles are typically formed by comminution of bulk high purity silicon. One application of the nanoparticles is in the preparation of inks which can be used to define active layers or structures of semiconductor devices by simple printing methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: PST Sensors, Ltd.
    Inventors: David Thomas Britton, Margit Härting
  • Publication number: 20120326699
    Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to an isolation device including a semiconductor layer and an insulation layer. The insulation layer insulates a central portion of the semiconductor layer. A high voltage terminal connects to the insulation layer, a first low voltage terminal connects to a first non-insulated portion of the semiconductor layer, and a second low voltage terminal connects to a second non-insulated portion of the semiconductor layer. The first and second low voltage terminals are electrically connected via the semiconductor layer. A voltage applied to the high voltage terminal influences the conductance of the semiconductor layer. The high voltage terminal is galvanically isolated from the first and second low voltage terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: NXP B.V
    Inventors: Maarten Jacobus SWANENBERG, Dusan GOLUBOVIC
  • Patent number: 8324706
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which, in spite of the existence of a dummy active region, eliminates the need for a larger chip area and improves the surface flatness of the semiconductor substrate. In the process of manufacturing it, a thick gate insulating film for a high voltage MISFET is formed over an n-type buried layer as an active region and a resistance element IR of an internal circuit is formed over the gate insulating film. Since the thick gate insulating film lies between the n-type buried layer and the resistance element IR, the coupling capacitance produced between the substrate (n-type buried layer) and the resistance element IR is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Yoshizumi, Kazuhisa Higuchi, Takayuki Nakaji, Masami Koketsu, Hideki Yasuoka
  • Patent number: 8299564
    Abstract: Formation of transistors, such as, e.g., PMOS transistors, with diffusion regions having different depths for equalization of performance among transistors of an integrated circuit is described. Shallow-trench isolation structures are formed in a substrate formed at least in part of silicon for providing the transistors with at least substantially equivalent channel widths and lengths. A series of masks and etches is performed to form first recesses and second recesses defined in the silicon having different depths and respectively associated with first and second transistors. The second recesses are deeper than the first recesses. A silicon germanium film is formed in the first recesses and the second recesses. The silicon germanium film in the second recesses is thicker than the silicon germanium film in the first recesses, in order to increase performance of the second transistor so it is closer to the performance of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Yun Wu, Bei Zhu, Zhiyuan Wu, Michael J. Hart
  • Patent number: 8294236
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a memory cell area and a peripheral circuit area includes a silicon substrate and an isolation structure implemented by a silicon oxide film formed on a surface of the silicon substrate. A depth of the isolation structure in the memory cell area is smaller than a depth of the isolation structure in the peripheral circuit area, and an isolation height of the isolation structure in the memory cell area is substantially the same as an isolation height of the isolation structure in the peripheral circuit area. Reliability of the semiconductor device can thus be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Mitsuhira, Takehiko Nakahara, Yasusuke Suzuki, Jun Sumino
  • Patent number: 8283231
    Abstract: A method and circuit in which the drive strength of a FinFET transistor can be selectively modified, and in particular can be selectively reduced, by omitting the LDD extension formation in the source and/or in the drain of the FinFET. One application of this approach is to enable differentiation of the drive strengths of transistors in an integrated circuit by applying the technique to some, but not all, of the transistors in the integrated circuit. In particular in a SRAM cell formed from FinFET transistors the application of the technique to the pass-gate transistors, which leads to a reduction of the drive strength of the pass-gate transistors relative to the drive strength of the pull-up and pull-down transistors, results in improved SRAM cell performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Merelle, Gerben Doornbos, Robert James Pascoe Lander
  • Patent number: 8283747
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a first conduction type semiconductor layer; a second conduction type element forming region formed above the first conduction type semiconductor layer and formed with at least one semiconductor element formed on a surface region of the second conduction type element forming region; a first conduction type element-isolation region insulating and segregating the second conduction type element forming region from the exterior; and a second conduction type buried region formed at the interface of the first conduction type semiconductor layer and the second conduction type element forming region, formed separated from the first conduction type element-isolation region. In the semiconductor device a second conduction type high concentration region is buried in the surface of the second conduction type element forming region and formed to surround the semiconductor element and separated from the first conduction type element-isolation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takeshi Shimizu, Koji Yuki
  • Patent number: 8283709
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed which includes a silicide substrate, a nitride layer, two STIs, and a strain nitride. The silicide substrate has two doping areas. The nitride layer is deposited on the silicide substrate. The silicide substrate and the nitride layer have a recess running through. The two doping areas are at two sides of the recess. The end of the recess has an etching space bigger than the recess. The top of the silicide substrate has a fin-shaped structure. The two STIs are at the two opposite sides of the silicide substrate (recess). The strain nitride is spacer-formed in the recess and attached to the side wall of the silicide substrate, nitride layer, two STIs. The two doping areas cover the strain nitride. As a result, the efficiency of semiconductor is improved, and the drive current is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Inotera Memories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tzung Han Lee, Chung-Lin Huang, Hsien-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 8269304
    Abstract: A MOS-gate power semiconductor device includes: a main device area including an active area and an edge termination area; and an auxiliary device area horizontally formed outside the main device area so as to include one or more diodes. Accordingly, it is possible to protect a circuit from an overcurrent and thus to prevent deterioration and/or destruction of a device due to the overcurrent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Trinno Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Hoon Oh, Byoung-Ho Choo, Soo-Seong Kim, Chong-Man Yun
  • Patent number: 8264057
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a low-side circuit, high-side circuit, a virtual ground potential pad, a common ground potential pad and a diode, formed on a semiconductor substrate. The low-side circuit drives a low-side power transistor. The high-side circuit is provided at a high potential region, and drives a high-side power transistor. The virtual ground potential pad is arranged at the high potential region, and coupled to a connection node of both power transistors to supply a virtual ground potential to the high-side circuit. The common ground potential pad supplies a common ground potential to the low-side circuit and high-side circuit. The diode has its cathode connected to the virtual ground potential pad and its anode connected to the common ground potential pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8253188
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first insulator, a laminated insulator including a second insulator having fixed charges more than those of the first insulator, a single-layer insulator, memory cells between the semiconductor substrate and the first insulator, each memory cells separated from an adjacent memory cell by a cavity portion and including a tunnel insulator, a charge accumulation layer, an insulator, and a control gate electrode, a first selection gate transistor between the semiconductor substrate and the first insulator, a second selection gate transistor between the semiconductor substrate and the first insulator, between one memory cell and the first selection gate transistor, and in contact with the laminated insulator on a first side face on a memory cell side thereof, and a high-voltage peripheral circuit transistor between the semiconductor substrate and the first insulator, and in contact with the single-layer insulator on a side face thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Kamigaichi, Satoshi Nagashima, Kenji Aoyama
  • Patent number: 8253208
    Abstract: A gate dielectric layer (500, 566, or 700) of an insulated-gate field-effect transistor (110, 114, or 122) contains nitrogen having a vertical concentration profile specially tailored to prevent boron in the overlying gate electrode (502, 568, or 702) from significantly penetrating through the gate dielectric layer into the underlying channel zone (484, 554, or 684) while simultaneously avoiding the movement of nitrogen from the gate dielectric layer into the underlying semiconductor body. Damage which could otherwise result from undesired boron in the channel zone and from undesired nitrogen in the semiconductor body is substantially avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Prasad Chaparala, D. Courtney Parker
  • Patent number: 8253197
    Abstract: An integrated circuit with a transistor advantageously embodied in a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor device having a gate located over a channel region recessed into a semiconductor substrate and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the transistor includes a source/drain including a lightly or heavily doped region adjacent the channel region, and an oppositely doped well extending under the channel region and a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain. The transistor also includes a channel extension, within the oppositely doped well, under the channel region and extending under a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Enpirion, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashraf W. Lotfi, William W. Troutman, Douglas Dean Lopata, Tanya Nigam
  • Patent number: 8242584
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip is provided comprising at least one trench including a stress-inducing material which imparts a stress on a channel region of a device, such as a junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). A related method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Renata A. Camillo-Castillo, Robert J. Gauthier, Jr., Richard A. Phelps, Robert M. Rassel, Andreas D. Stricker
  • Publication number: 20120193750
    Abstract: A Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) that includes a substrate, a high-side (HS) region on the substrate, a low-side (LS) region spaced from the first region, a device isolation layer interposed between the HS region and the LS region, a metal interconnection connected to the HS region across the device isolation layer and configured to permit a high-voltage current to flow in the HS region, and at least one electric field shield between the metal interconnection and the device isolation layer. Since the electric field shield is disposed under the metal interconnection, a sufficient breakdown voltage can be ensured for the HS region and the LS region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: JONG MIN KIM, Jae Hyun Yoo
  • Patent number: 8227861
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a source region formed over the substrate, a drain region formed over the substrate, a first gate electrode over the substrate adjacent to the source region and between the source and drain regions, and a second gate electrode over the substrate adjacent to the drain region and between the source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongning Yang, Xin Lin, Jiang-Kia Zuo
  • Patent number: 8227888
    Abstract: A semiconductor component including a first integrated circuit in a substrate which is adapted to produce electrical signals with a high-frequency signal component, wherein the substrate is such that the high-frequency signal component can propagate on a substrate surface and/or in the substrate interior, a second integrated circuit in the same substrate which is such that its function can be compromised by high-frequency signals, and a countersignal circuit in the same substrate which is adapted to deliver an electrical countersignal which at least at a selected location of the substrate surface and/or the substrate interior attenuates or eliminates the high-frequency electrical signal component emanating from the first integrated circuit, wherein the countersignal circuit includes a receiver which is adapted to produce an electrical signal dependent on the instantaneous field strength of the high-frequency signal component, and a shielding transistor provided in the substrate and having a control electrode
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: IHP GmbH—Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics
    Inventors: Gunther Lippert, Gerald Lippert
  • Patent number: 8222695
    Abstract: An electronic device, including an integrated circuit, can include a buried conductive region and a semiconductor layer overlying the buried conductive region, wherein the semiconductor layer has a primary surface and an opposing surface lying closer to the buried conductive region. The electronic device can also include a first doped region and a second doped region spaced apart from each other, wherein each is within the semiconductor layer and lies closer to primary surface than to the opposing surface. The electronic device can include current-carrying electrodes of transistors. A current-carrying electrode of a particular transistor includes the first doped region and is a source or an emitter and is electrically connected to the buried conductive region. Another current-carrying electrode of a different transistor includes the second doped region and is a drain or a collector and is electrically connected to the buried conductive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Gary H. Loechelt, Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 8217487
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power semiconductor device including a bootstrap circuit. The power semiconductor device includes a high voltage unit that provides a high voltage control signal so that a high voltage is output; a low voltage unit that provides a low voltage control signal so that a ground voltage is output, and is spaced apart from the high voltage unit; a charge enable unit that is electrically connected to the low voltage unit and charges a bootstrap capacitor for supplying power to the high voltage unit when the high voltage is output, when the ground voltage is output; and a high voltage cut-off unit that cuts off the high voltage when the high voltage is output so that the high voltage is not applied to the charge enable unit, and includes a first terminal electrically connected to the charge enable unit and a second terminal electrically connected to the high voltage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongcheol Choi, Chang-Ki Jeon, Minsuk Kim, Donghwan Kim
  • Patent number: 8217395
    Abstract: In a conventional analog buffer circuit composed of polycrystalline semiconductor TFTs, a variation in the output is large. Thus, a measure such as to provide a correction circuit has been taken. However, there has been such a problem that a circuit and driver operation are complicated. Therefore, a gate length and a gate width of a TFT composing an analog buffer circuit is set to be larger. Also, a multi-gate structure is adopted thereto. In addition, the arrangement of channel regions is devised. Thus, the analog buffer circuit having a small variation is obtained without using a correction circuit, and a semiconductor device having a small variation can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 8212322
    Abstract: Techniques for combining transistors having different threshold voltage requirements from one another are provided. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a substrate having a first and a second nFET region, and a first and a second pFET region; a logic nFET on the substrate over the first nFET region; a logic pFET on the substrate over the first pFET region; a SRAM nFET on the substrate over the second nFET region; and a SRAM pFET on the substrate over the second pFET region, each comprising a gate stack having a metal layer over a high-K layer. The logic nFET gate stack further comprises a capping layer separating the metal layer from the high-K layer, wherein the capping layer is further configured to shift a threshold voltage of the logic nFET relative to a threshold voltage of one or more of the logic pFET, SRAM nFET and SRAM pFET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Martin M. Frank, Arvind Kumar, Vijay Narayanan, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Jeffrey Sleight
  • Patent number: 8211747
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for an IC package including first and a second discrete components fabricated into a semiconductor substrate. The first and second discrete components can be adjacent to one another in the semiconductor substrate, and an integrated circuit die can be mounted on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the first and second discrete components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Kinzer, Yong Liu, Stephen Martin
  • Patent number: 8207017
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a stacked dual MOSFET die package is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) forming a first conductive tab, (b) stacking a high side MOSFET die on the first conductive tab such that a drain contact of the high side MOSFET die is coupled to the first conductive tab, (c) stacking a second conductive tab in overlaying relationship to the high side MOSFET die such that a source contact of the high side MOSFET die is coupled to the second conductive tab, and (d) stacking a low side MOSFET die on the second conductive tab such that a drain contact of the low side MOSFET die is coupled to the second conductive tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventor: Sanjay Havanur
  • Patent number: 8198782
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an insulating film disposed between the first and second electrodes, and a cavity disposed between the first and second electrodes. The insulating film includes a projection extending in the cavity, and a portion of the cavity is disposed between the projection and the first electrode. A portion of one of the first electrode and the second electrode has an opening corresponding to a position of the projection of the insulating film when viewed in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuntaro Machida, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Yoshitaka Tadaki, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 8193616
    Abstract: A Direct Silicon Bonded substrate can include a first substrate and a second substrate in which the second substrate can be rotated to an azimuthal twist angle of 45 degrees in comparison to the first substrate. Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method for making a semiconductor device that includes a DSB substrate with an adjusted thickness based upon the threshold voltage (Vt). In other words, a thicker substrate or layer can correspond to a high threshold voltage (HVt) and a thinner substrate or layer can correspond to a low threshold voltage (LVt) in order to improve mobility in LVt devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masafumi Hamaguchi, Ryoji Hasumi
  • Patent number: 8183661
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a power managing semiconductor die with reduced power consumption includes a power island including an event detection block and an event qualification block. The event detection block is configured to activate the event qualification block in response to an input signal initiated by an external event. The input signal is coupled to the event detection block, for example, via a bond pad situated in an I/O region of the power managing semiconductor die. The event qualification block is configured to determine if the external event is a valid external event. The event qualification block resides in a thin oxide region and the event detection block resides in a thick oxide region of the semiconductor die. The power managing semiconductor die further includes a power management unit configured to activate the event qualification block in response to power enable signal outputted by the event detection block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Wenkwei Lou
  • Patent number: 8178915
    Abstract: An analog floating-gate electrode in an integrated circuit, and method of fabricating the same, in which trapped charge can be stored for long durations. The analog floating-gate electrode is formed in a polycrystalline silicon gate level, and includes n-type and p-type doped portions serving as gate electrodes of n-channel and p-channel MOS transistors, respectively; a plate of a metal-to-poly storage capacitor; and a plate of poly-to-active tunneling capacitors. Silicide-block silicon dioxide blocks the formation of silicide cladding on the electrode, while other polysilicon structures in the integrated circuit are silicide-clad. An opening at the surface of the analog floating-gate electrode, at the location at which n-type and p-type doped portions of the floating gate electrode abut, allow formation of silicide at that location, shorting the p-n junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Allan T. Mitchell, Imran Mahmood Khan, Michael A. Wu
  • Publication number: 20120098083
    Abstract: A semiconductor die includes a substrate, a first device region and a second device region. The first device region includes an epitaxial layer on the substrate and one or more semiconductor devices of a first type formed in the epitaxial layer of the first device region. The second device region is spaced apart from the first device region and includes an epitaxial layer on the substrate and one or more semiconductor devices of a second type formed in the epitaxial layer of the second device region. The epitaxial layer of the first device region is different than the epitaxial layer of the second device region so that the one or more semiconductor devices of the first type are formed in a different epitaxial layer than the one or more semiconductor devices of the second type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLGIES AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Meyer, Wolfgang Werner, Christoph Kadow
  • Patent number: 8154076
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes low voltage and high voltage transistors over a substrate. The low voltage transistor is configured by at least one unit transistor. The high voltage transistor is configured by a greater number of the unit transistors than the at least one unit transistor that configures the low voltage transistor. Each of the unit transistors may include a vertically extending portion of semiconductor providing a channel region and having a uniform height, a gate insulating film extending along a side surface of the vertically extending portion of semiconductor, a gate electrode separated by the gate insulating film from the vertically extending portion of semiconductor, and upper and lower diffusion regions being respectively disposed near the top and bottom of the vertically extending portion of semiconductor. The greater number of the unit transistors are connected in series to each other and have gate electrodes eclectically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Takaishi
  • Patent number: 8154049
    Abstract: An ESD protection apparatus includes a substrate, a transistor structure arranged in the substrate, and a diode structure arranged in the substrate, a high-resistance electrical connection being provided between the transistor structure and the diode structure in the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Sven Albers, Klaus Diefenbeck, Bernd Eisener, Gernot Langguth, Christian Lehrer, Karl-Heinz Malek, Eberhard Rohrer
  • Patent number: 8138570
    Abstract: An isolation structure for a semiconductor device comprises a floor isolation region, a dielectric filled trench above the floor isolation region and a sidewall isolation region extending downward from the bottom of the trench to the floor isolation region. This structure provides a relatively deep isolated pocket in a semiconductor substrate while limiting the depth of the trench that must be etched in the substrate. An isolated junction field-effect transistor is formed in the isolated pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc., Advanced Analogic Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Richard K. Williams, Donald Ray Disney, Wai Tien Chan
  • Patent number: 8129815
    Abstract: A high-voltage device structure comprises a resistor coupled to a tap transistor that includes a JFET in a configuration wherein a voltage provided at a terminal of the JFET is substantially proportional to an external voltage when the external voltage is less than a pinch-off voltage of the JFET. The voltage provided at the terminal being substantially constant when the external voltage is greater than the pinch-off voltage. One end of the resistor is substantially at the external voltage when the external voltage is greater than the pinch-off voltage. When the external voltage is negative, the resistor limits current injected into the substrate. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc
    Inventors: Sujit Banerjee, Vijay Parthasarathy
  • Patent number: 8129836
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is composed of a pair of semiconductor chips (402, 404) arranged parallel on the same flat plane; a high voltage bus bar (21) bonded on the surface on the collector side of one semiconductor chip (402); a low voltage bus bar (23) connected to the surface on the emitter side of the other semiconductor chip (404) with a bonding wire (27); a first metal wiring board (24-1) connected to the surface on the emitter side of the semiconductor chip (402) with a bonding wire (26); a second metal wiring board (24-2) bonded on the surface on the collector side of the semiconductor chip (404); a third metal wiring board (24-3) connected to the first metal wiring board (24-1); a fourth metal wiring board (24-4) connected by being bent from an end portion of the second metal wiring board (24-2); and an output bus bar (24) having output terminals (405) extending from each end portion of the third metal wiring board (24-3) and that of the fourth metal wiring board (24-4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumitomo Takano, Shinya Watanabe, Tsukasa Aiba, Hiroshi Otsuka, Joji Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20120049271
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a high-breakdown-voltage transistor having a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer has an element portion and a wiring portion. The element portion has a first wiring on a front side of the semiconductor layer and a backside electrode on a back side of the semiconductor layer. The element portion is configured as a vertical transistor that causes an electric current to flow in a thickness direction of the semiconductor layer between the first wiring and the backside electrode. The backside electrode is elongated to the wiring portion. The wiring portion has a second wiring on the front side of the semiconductor layer. The wiring portion and the backside electrode provide a pulling wire that allows the electric current to flow to the second wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira YAMADA, Nozomu Akagi
  • Publication number: 20120049180
    Abstract: A compound semiconductor device includes a substrate; a compound semiconductor layer formed over the substrate; and a gate electrode formed over the compound semiconductor layer with a gate insulating film arranged therebetween. The gate insulating film includes a first layer having reverse spontaneous polarization, the direction of which is opposite to spontaneous polarization of the compound semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Atsushi YAMADA
  • Patent number: 8124468
    Abstract: An electronic device including an integrated circuit can include a buried conductive region and a semiconductor layer overlying the buried conductive region, and a vertical conductive structure extending through the semiconductor layer and electrically connected to the buried conductive region. The integrated circuit can further include a doped structure having an opposite conductivity type as compared to the buried conductive region, lying closer to an opposing surface than to a primary surface of the semiconductor layer, and being electrically connected to the buried conductive region. The integrated circuit can also include a well region that includes a portion of the semiconductor layer, wherein the portion overlies the doped structure and has a lower dopant concentration as compared to the doped structure. In other embodiment, the doped structure can be spaced apart from the buried conductive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Gary H. Loechelt, Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 8125044
    Abstract: In various embodiments, semiconductor structures and methods to manufacture these structures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a portion of the unidirectional transistor and a portion of a bidirectional transistor in or over a semiconductor material simultaneously. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: HVVi Semiconductors, Inc.
    Inventor: Bishnu P. Gogoi
  • Patent number: 8120121
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a first transistor in a substrate, a second transistor in the substrate, and a further device in the substrate. The second transistor and the further device are arranged to operate at a second voltage which is higher than a first voltage. The first voltage is the (normal) voltage of operation of the first transistor, and the first transistor is isolated from the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignees: X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries AG, Melexis Tessenderlo N.V.
    Inventors: John Nigel Ellis, Piet De Pauw
  • Patent number: 8115190
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of manufacturing the apparatus. The apparatus includes a main nanowire and branch nanowires emanating from the main nanowire. The main nanowire may have a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may have a first carrier concentration and the second portion may have a second carrier concentration, different to the first carrier concentration. Each branch nanowire may emanate from the first portion of the main nanowire. Each branch nanowire may emanate from the main nanowire at a substantially fixed distance along a length of the main nanowire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Samiul Haque, Richard White
  • Patent number: 8115260
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, an IC package including first and a second discrete components fabricated into a semiconductor substrate. The first and second discrete components can be adjacent to one another in the semiconductor substrate, and an integrated circuit die can be mounted on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the first and second discrete components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Kinzer, Yong Liu, Stephen Martin
  • Publication number: 20120018839
    Abstract: CMOS inverters are included in a standard cell. Power supply lines are electrically connected to CMOS inverters, and include lower layer interconnects and upper layer interconnect. Lower layer interconnects extend along a boundary of standard cells adjacent to each other and on the boundary. Upper layer interconnects are positioned more inside in standard cell than lower layer interconnects, as viewed from a plane. CMOS inverters are electrically connected through upper layer interconnects to lower layer interconnects. Thus, a semiconductor device is obtained that can achieve both higher speeds and higher integration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro TSUDA
  • Patent number: 8093621
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a power transistor device comprises a substrate that forms a PN junction with an overlying buffer layer. The power transistor device further includes a first region, a drift region that adjoins a top surface of the buffer layer, and a body region. The body region separates the first region from the drift region. First and second dielectric regions respectively adjoin opposing lateral sidewall portions of the drift region. The dielectric regions extend in a vertical direction from at least just beneath the body region down at least into the buffer layer. First and second field plates are respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions. A trench gate that controls forward conduction is disposed above the dielectric region adjacent to and insulated from the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Parthasarathy, Sujit Banerjee
  • Publication number: 20110316115
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device comprises: a high-voltage side switching element and a low-voltage side switching element which are totem-pole-connected in that order from a high-voltage side between a high-voltage side potential and a low-voltage side potential; a high-voltage side drive circuit that drives the high-voltage side switching element; a low-voltage side drive circuit that drives the low-voltage side switching element; a capacitor which has a first end connected to a connection point between the high-voltage side switching element and the low-voltage side switching element and a second end connected to a power supply terminal of the high-voltage side drive circuit and supplies a drive voltage to the high-voltage side drive circuit; and a diode which has an anode connected to a power supply and a cathode connected to the second end of the capacitor and supplies a current from the power supply to the second end of the capacitor, wherein the diode includes a P-type semiconductor substrate, an N-type ca
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 8072035
    Abstract: In an LCD driver, in a high voltage resistant MISFET, end portions of a gate electrode run onto electric field relaxing insulation regions. Wires to become source wires or drain wires are formed on an interlayer insulation film of the first layer over the high voltage resistant MISFET. At this moment, when a distance from an interface between a semiconductor substrate and a gate insulation film to an upper portion of the gate electrode is defined as “a”, and a distance from the upper portion of the gate electrode to an upper portion of the interlayer insulation film on which the wires are formed is defined as “b”, a relation of a>b is established. In such a high voltage resistant MISFET structured in this manner, the wires are arranged so as not to be overlapped planarly with the gate electrode of the high voltage resistant MISFET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Terada, Shigeya Toyokawa, Atsushi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8049306
    Abstract: A high voltage integrated circuit contains a freewheeling diode embedded in a transistor. It further includes a control block controlling a high voltage transistor and a power block—including the high voltage transistor—isolated from the control block by a device isolation region. The high voltage transistor includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate, a buried layer of the second conductivity type between the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer, a collector region of the second conductivity type on the buried layer, a base region of the first conductivity type on the epitaxial layer, and an emitter region of the second conductivity type formed in the base region. The power block further includes a deep impurity region of the first conductivity type near the collector region to form a PN junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taeg-hyun Kang, Sung-son Yun
  • Patent number: 8044457
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the invention relates to semiconductor structures, such as planar MOS structures, suitable as voltage clamp devices. Additional doped regions formed in the structures may improve over-voltage protection characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Javier Salcedo, Alan Righter
  • Patent number: 8044487
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a high voltage element and a low voltage element, including: a semiconductor substrate having high voltage element region where the high voltage element is formed, and a low voltage element region where the low voltage element is formed; a first LOCOS isolation structure disposed in the high voltage element region; and a second LOCOS isolation structure disposed in the low voltage element region, wherein the first LOCOS isolation structure includes a LOCOS oxide film formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and a CVD oxide film formed on the LOCOS oxide film, and the second LOCOS isolation structure includes a LOCOS oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Rittaku, Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8045335
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second assembled bodies (12A, 12B). The first assembled body is provided with a first semiconductor chip, a high voltage bus bar (21) connected to one surface of the first semiconductor chip, a first metal wiring board (24-1) connected to the other surface of the first semiconductor chip with a bonding wire, and a third metal wiring board (24-3) connected to the first metal wiring board. The second assembled body is provided with a second semiconductor chip, a low voltage bus bar (23) connected to one surface of the second semiconductor chip with a bonding wire, a second metal wiring board (24-2) connected to the other surface of the second semiconductor chip, and a fourth metal wiring board (24-4) connected by being returned from an end portion of the second metal wiring board and arranged in parallel to the second metal wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumitomo Takano, Shinya Watanabe, Tsukasa Aiba, Joji Nakashima, Hiroshi Otsuka