A semiconductor device, its manufacturing method, and a radiation measurement method are presented, relating to semiconductor techniques. The semiconductor device includes: a substrate comprising a base area and a collector area adjacent to each other; a plurality of semiconductor fins on the substrate, wherein the plurality of semiconductor fins comprises at least a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin on the base area and separated from each other, the first semiconductor fin comprises an emission area adjacent to the base area, and the second semiconductor fin comprises a first region adjacent to the base area; a first gate structure on the second semiconductor fin; and a first source and a first drain at two opposite sides of the first gate structure and at least partially in the first region. Radiation in a semiconductor apparatus can be measured through this semiconductor device.

A measurement circuit device for a vehicle includes a power transistor and a voltage measurement circuit coupled to the power transistor that measures a voltage across the power transistor. The measurement circuit device also includes a microcontroller that determines a junction temperature using the measured voltage and adjusts a capacity of the power transistor based on the determined junction temperature. In some embodiments, the measurement circuit device may include a clamping device that clamps the voltage across the transistor when the transistor is off. The measurement circuit device may also include an analog-to-digital converter that converts the measured voltage from an analog value to a digital value.

An object is to provide a semiconductor device capable of accurately detecting a temperature of a transistor part and a temperature of the diode part, and improving an overheat protection function. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a cell region made up of a plurality of cells including cells corresponding to a transistor part and a diode part, respectively, a temperature detection part detecting a temperature of the transistor part, and a temperature detection part detecting a temperature of the diode part, the temperature detection part is disposed in the cell corresponding to the transistor part, and the temperature detection part is disposed in the cell corresponding to the diode part.

A physical property of a test sample with a conductive or semi-conductive material (line/area/volume) is obtained. Periodic Joule heating is induced within the test sample by passing an AC current across a first pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample, measuring the voltage drop across a second pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample at one and three times the fundamental excitation frequency of the current-conducting terminals, and calculating the temperature-modulated property/properties of the test sample as a function of the potential drop measurement(s). This includes: a) determining a value proportional to the TCR of the test sample, b) a geometric parameter of the test sample (affected by coupling of its TCR to heat transport to/from the test sample), or c) the true resistivity of the test sample at the ambient experimental temperature by subtracting measurable and accountable TCR offset(s).

A system for determining thermal resistance of a power semiconductor includes a constant current source to apply a constant drain current to a drain terminal of the power semiconductor device, an adjustable gate voltage source to apply a gate voltage signal to a gate terminal of the power semiconductor device, a drain-source voltage sensor coupled between the drain terminal and the source terminal to measure a value of the current drain-source voltage across the power semiconductor device and to output a corresponding drain-source voltage signal, a gate controller to determine a difference between the drain-source voltage signal and a constant reference voltage and to control the output of the adjustable gate voltage source dependent on the determined difference, and a system controller to determine a thermal resistance of the power semiconductor device on the basis of the applied drain current and the measured drain-source voltage.

A method analyzes an operation of a power semiconductor device. The method includes: providing a set of reference voltages of the power semiconductor device and a set of corresponding reference currents; measuring an on-state voltage and a corresponding on-state current of the power semiconductor device to obtain a measurement point; adapting the set of reference voltages by adapting two of the set of reference voltages lying closest to the measurement point by extrapolating the measurement point; and using the adapted set of reference voltages to analyze the operation of the power semiconductor device. The extrapolation is based on a predefined reference increment current and a predefined reference increment voltage.

The disclosure relates to technology for determining stress on integrated circuits. These include using ring oscillators formed on the integrated circuit, where one ring oscillator has its frequency dependent on the current flowing through its stages being limited by its NMOS devices and another ring oscillator has its frequency dependent on the current flowing through its stages being limited by its PMOS devices. This allows the stress on the integrated circuit to be determined in different directions along the integrated circuit. A temperature sensor can be used to compensate for temperature dependence on the frequencies of the ring oscillators.

A test apparatus includes a tray including at least a first region and a second region, and a cap disposed over the tray. The cap includes a cap body, and at least a first magnet and a second magnet disposed over the cap body. The first magnet is configured to provide a first magnetic field to the first region of the tray, and the second magnet is configured to provide a second magnetic field to the second region of the tray. A strength of the first magnetic field is different from a strength of the second magnetic field.

A semiconductor device for evaluating characteristics of a transistor is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an active area defined on the substrate, an insulated gate configured to be formed on the active area, a first source layer and a first drain layer configured to be formed on the active area in a first two-way direction of the gate, and a second source layer and a second drain layer configured to be formed on the active area in a second two-way direction of the gate. The first source layer, the first drain layer, and the second drain layer are formed as a first conductive type. The second source layer is formed as a second conductive type.

The present disclosure provides techniques for predicting failure of power switches and taking action based on the predictions. In an example, a method can include controlling the at least two parallel-connected power switches via a first driver and a second driver, the first a second driver responsive to a single command signal, measuring a failure characteristic of a first power switch, and disabling a first driver of the first power switch when the first failure characteristic exceeds a failure precursor threshold.