In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a Group III-nitride-based High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) configured as a bidirectional switch. The Group III nitride-based HEMT includes a first input/output electrode, a second input/output electrode, a gate structure arranged between the first input/output electrode and the second input/output electrode, and a field plate structure.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes irradiating the semiconductor body with particles through a first side of the semiconductor body, removing at least a part of impurities from an irradiated part of the semiconductor body by out-diffusion during thermal treatment in a temperature range between 450 C. to 1200 C., and forming a first load terminal structure at the first side of the semiconductor body.

Field-plate structures are disclosed for electrical field management in semiconductor devices. A field-plate semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first ohmic contact and a second ohmic contact disposed over the semiconductor substrate, one or more coupling capacitors, and one or more capacitively-coupled field plates disposed over the semiconductor substrate between the first ohmic contact and the second ohmic contact. Each of the capacitively-coupled field plates is capacitively coupled to the first ohmic contact through one of the coupling capacitors, the coupling capacitor having a first terminal electrically connected to the first ohmic contact and a second terminal electrically connected to the capacitively-coupled field plate.

A method of producing a semiconductor device is disclosed in which, after proton implantation is performed, a hydrogen-induced donor is formed by a furnace annealing process to form an n-type field stop layer. A disorder generated in a proton passage region is reduced by a laser annealing process to form an n-type disorder reduction region. As such, the n-type field stop layer and the n-type disorder reduction region are formed by the proton implantation. Therefore, it is possible to provide a stable and inexpensive semiconductor device which has low conduction resistance and can improve electrical characteristics, such as a leakage current, and a method for producing the semiconductor device.

The semiconductor device includes a trench that penetrates a barrier layer, and reaches a middle portion of a channel layer among an n+ layer, an n-type layer, a p-type layer, the channel layer, and the barrier layer which are formed above a substrate, a gate electrode arranged within the groove through a gate insulating film, and a source electrode and a drain electrode which are formed above the barrier layer on both sides of the gate electrode. The n-type layer and the drain electrode are electrically coupled by a connection portion that reaches the n+ layer. The p-type layer and the source electrode are electrically coupled by a connection portion that reaches the p-type layer. A diode including a p-type layer and an n-type layer is provided between the source electrode and the drain electrode, to thereby prevent the breaking of an element caused by an avalanche breakdown.

In one embodiment, a bi-directional punch-through semiconductor device can include: a first transistor in a first region of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, where the first transistor includes a semiconductor buried layer of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor substrate, and a first epitaxy region of an epitaxy semiconductor layer above the semiconductor buried layer, the semiconductor buried layer being configured as a base of the first transistor; and a second transistor coupled in parallel with the first transistor, where the second transistor is in a second region of the semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type, where the second transistor comprises a second epitaxy region of the epitaxy semiconductor layer above the semiconductor substrate, and a first doped region of the second conductivity type in the second epitaxy region, the first doped region being configured as a base of the second transistor.

A semiconductor device includes a buffer layer, a channel layer, a barrier layer, and agate electrode over a substrate, the gate electrode being disposed in a first opening with agate insulating film in between, the first opening running up to the middle of the channel layer through the barrier layer. The concentration of two-dimensional electron gas in a first region on either side of a second opening that will have a channel is controlled to be lower than the concentration of two-dimensional electron gas in a second region between an end of the first region and a source or drain electrode. The concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas in the first region is thus decreased, thereby the conduction band-raising effect of polarization charge is prevented from being reduced. This prevents a decrease in threshold potential, and thus improves normally-off operability.

In accordance with an embodiment, semiconductor component having a compound semiconductor material based semiconductor device connected to a silicon based semiconductor device and a protection element, wherein the silicon based semiconductor device is a transistor. The protection element is coupled in parallel across the silicon based semiconductor device and may be a resistor, a diode, or a transistor. In accordance with another embodiment, the silicon based semiconductor device is a diode. The compound semiconductor material may be shorted to a source of potential such as, for example, ground, with a shorting element.

Proton irradiation is performed a plurality of times from rear surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate, which is an n.sup. drift layer, forming an n-type FS layer having lower resistance than the n-type semiconductor substrate in the rear surface of the n.sup. drift layer. When the proton irradiation is performed a plurality of times, the next proton irradiation is performed to as to compensate for a reduction in mobility due to disorder which remains after the previous proton irradiation. In this case, the second or subsequent proton irradiation is performed at the position of the disorder which is formed by the previous proton irradiation. In this way, even after proton irradiation and a heat treatment, the disorder is reduced and it is possible to prevent deterioration of characteristics, such as increase in leakage current. It is possible to form an n-type FS layer including a high-concentration hydrogen-related donor layer.

A low dynamic resistance, low capacitance diode of a semiconductor device includes a heavily-doped n-type substrate. A lightly-doped n-type layer 1 micron to 5 microns thick is disposed on the n-type substrate. A lightly-doped p-type layer 3 microns to 8 microns thick is disposed on the n-type layer. The low dynamic resistance, low capacitance diode, of the semiconductor device includes a p-type buried layer, with a peak dopant density above 110.sup.17 cm.sup.3, extending from the p-type layer through the n-type layer to the n-type substrate. The low dynamic resistance, low capacitance diode also includes an n-type region disposed in the p-type layer, extending to a top surface of the p-type layer.