A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a control unit configured to control a switching element or an output transistor of a power supply device, a monitor terminal for monitoring an output voltage of the power supply device, a test unit configured to output a test signal to the monitor terminal before activation of the power supply device, and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the monitor terminal is open, on the basis of a voltage of the monitor terminal when the test unit outputs the test signal to the monitor terminal.

A method includes positioning a first active region adjacent to a pair of second active regions in an initial integrated circuit (IC) layout diagram of an initial cell, to align side edges of the first active region and corresponding side edges of each second active region of the pair of second active regions along a cell height direction. The first active region forms, together with the initial cell, a modified cell having a modified IC layout diagram. The side edges of the first active region and the corresponding side edges of each second active region extend along the cell height direction. A height dimension of the first active region in the cell height direction is less than half of a height dimension of each second active region of the pair of second active regions in the cell height direction. The positioning the first active region is executed by a processor.

A semiconductor integrated circuit device including a plurality of rows of IO cells has a configuration capable of avoiding a latchup error without causing an increase in area. The device includes a first IO cell row placed closest to an edge of a chip and a second IO cell row placed adjacent to a core region side of the first IO cell row. Each of the IO cells of the first and second IO cell rows has a high power supply voltage region and a low power supply voltage region provided separately in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the IO cells are lined up. The IO cell rows are placed so that the high power supply voltage regions of these rows are mutually opposed.

A device includes standard cells in a layout of an integrated circuit, the standard cells includes first and second standard cells sharing a first active region and a second active region. The first standard cell includes first and second gates. The first gate includes a first gate finger and a second gate finger that are arranged over the first active region, for forming the first transistor and the second transistor. The second gate is separate from the first gate, the second gate includes a third gate finger and a fourth gate finger that are arranged over the second active region, for forming the third transistor and the fourth transistor. The second standard cell includes a third gate arranged over the first active region and the second active region, for forming the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor. The first to fourth transistors operate as an electrostatic discharge protection circuit.

Various implementations described herein refer to a device having logic circuitry with transistors and gate lines. The device may include a backside power network having buried supply rails with at least one buried supply rail having a continuity break. The transistors may be arranged in a cell architecture having an N-well break with the gate lines passing through the N-well break and the continuity break.

A method for identifying a latch-up structure includes the following operations. In a chip layout, a first P-type heavily doped region connected to a ground pad and located in a P-type substrate is found, and a first N-type heavily doped region connected to a power pad and located in an N-well is found. A second N-type heavily doped region adjacent to the first P-type heavily doped region and located in the P-type substrate is found. A second P-type heavily doped region adjacent to the first N-type heavily doped region and located in the N-well is found, the N-well is located on the P-type substrate. An area that is formed by the first P-type heavily doped region, the first N-type heavily doped region, the second P-type heavily doped region, the second N-type heavily doped region, the N-well, and the P-type substrate is identified as the latch-up structure.

An Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a first discharge path and a second discharge path. The first discharge path is located between a first potential terminal and a second potential terminal. The second discharge path is located between the first potential terminal and the second potential terminal, and is connected to the first discharge path in parallel. The first discharge path and the second discharge path are used for discharging electrostatic charges. At least one of the first discharge path and the second discharge path includes a Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR).

The present application discloses a semiconductor device, an electronic system and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection method for a semiconductor device thereof. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an operation solder structure disposed on a first surface of the substrate for receiving an operation signal, a detection solder structure disposed on the first surface of the substrate for receiving a chip connection signal, and a semiconductor chip disposed on a second surface of the substrate. The semiconductor chip includes an operation electrical contact coupled to the operation solder structure, a detection electrical contact coupled to the detection solder structure, an ESD protection unit coupled to the operation electrical contact, and a logic circuit coupled to the detection electrical contact for adjusting capacitance of the ESD protection unit according to the chip connection signal.

An electrical fuse (e-fuse) includes a fuse link including a silicided semiconductor layer over a dielectric layer covering a gate conductor. The silicided semiconductor layer is non-planar and extends orthogonally over the gate conductor. A first terminal is electrically coupled to a first end of the fuse link, and a second terminal is electrically coupled to a second end of the fuse link. The fuse link may be formed in the same layer as an intrinsic and/or extrinsic base of a bipolar transistor. The gate conductor may control a current source for programming the e-fuse. The e-fuse reduces the footprint and the required programming energy compared to conventional e-fuses.

An eighth semiconductor portion is provided between the first semiconductor portion and the third semiconductor portion. The eighth semiconductor portion is of the second conductivity type, contacting the first semiconductor portion, and having a lower second-conductivity-type impurity concentration than the second semiconductor portion.