An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes a semiconductor substrate, a base region in the semiconductor substrate and having a first conductivity type, an emitter region in the base region and having a second conductivity type, a collector region in the semiconductor substrate, spaced from the base region, and having the second conductivity type, a breakdown trigger region having the second conductivity type, disposed laterally between the base region and the collector region to define a junction across which breakdown occurs to trigger the ESD protection device to shunt ESD discharge current, and a gate structure supported by the semiconductor substrate over the breakdown trigger region and electrically tied to the base region and the emitter region. The lateral width of the breakdown trigger region is configured to establish a voltage level at which the breakdown occurs.

Multi-junction solid-state transducer (SST) devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In several embodiments, for example, an SST system can include a first multi-junction SST chain having a first drive voltage, a first P-contact, and a first N-contact, and a second multi-junction SST chain having a second drive voltage, a second P-contact, and a second N-contact. The first and second multi-junction SST chains can be configured to be activated independently of each other. The SST system can further include a driver operably coupled to the first and second P- and N-contacts. The driver can be configured to activate the first multi-junction SST chain when voltage input is at least equal to the first drive voltage. When absolute voltage increases a predetermined voltage level, the driver can be configured to activate the second multi-junction SST chain or the first and second multi-junction SST chains.

A semiconductor memory cell includes a floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a state of the memory cell selected from at least first and second states. A first region of the memory cell is in electrical contact with the floating body region. A second region of the memory cell is spaced apart from the first region and is also in electrical contact with the floating body region. A gate is positioned between the first and second regions. A back-bias region is configured to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in one of the first and second states, and the back-bias region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in the other of the first and second states.

Methods and apparatus for increased holding voltage SCRs. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; a first well of the first conductivity type; a second well of a second conductivity type adjacent to the first well, an intersection of the first well and the second well forming a p-n junction; a first diffused region of the first conductivity type formed at the first well and coupled to a ground terminal; a first diffused region of the second conductivity type formed at the first well; a second diffused region of the first conductivity type formed at the second well and coupled to a pad terminal; a second diffused region of the second conductivity type formed in the second well; and a Schottky junction formed adjacent to the first diffused region of the second conductivity type coupled to a ground terminal. Methods for forming devices are disclosed.

A symmetrically-bidirectional bipolar transistor circuit where the two base contact regions are clamped, through a low-voltage diode and a resistive element, to avoid bringing either emitter junction to forward bias. This avoids bipolar gain in the off state, and thereby avoids reduction of the withstand voltage due to bipolar gain.

A method of manufacturing a structure in a semiconductor body comprises forming a first mask above a first surface of the semiconductor body. The first mask comprises an opening surrounding a first portion of the first mask, thereby separating the first portion and a second portion of the first mask. The semiconductor body is processed through the opening at the first surface. The opening is increased by removing at least part of the first mask in the first portion while maintaining the first mask in the second portion. The semiconductor body is further processed through the opening at the first surface.

Methods, devices, and systems for using and forming vertically base-connected bipolar transistors have been shown. The vertically base-connected bipolar transistors in the embodiments of the present disclosure are formed with a CMOS fabrication technique that decreases the transistor size while maintaining the high performance characteristics of a bipolar transistor.

Protection device structures and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary semiconductor protection device includes a base region of semiconductor material having a first conductivity type, an emitter region within the base region having the opposite conductivity type, and a collector region of semiconductor material having the second conductivity type, wherein at least a portion of the base region resides between the emitter region and the collector region. A depth of the collector region is greater than a depth of the emitter region and less than or equal to a depth of the base region such that a distance between a lateral boundary of the emitter region and a proximal lateral boundary of the collector region is greater than zero and the collector region does not overlap or otherwise underlie the emitter region.

Device structures for a bipolar junction transistor and methods of fabricating a device structure for a bipolar junction transistor. A first semiconductor layer is formed on a substrate, and a second semiconductor layer is formed on the first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the substrate are etched to define first and second emitter fingers from the second semiconductor layer and trenches in the substrate that are laterally positioned between the first and second emitter fingers. The first semiconductor layer may function as a base layer in the device structure.

This disclosure relates to bipolar transistors, such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, having at a doping spike in the collector. The doping spike can be disposed relatively near an interface between the collector and the base. For instance, the doping spike can be disposed within half of the thickness of the collector from the interface between the collector and the base. Such bipolar transistors can be implemented, for example, in power amplifiers.