An electrostatic discharge device includes a power clamping circuit and an isolation circuit. The power clamping circuit includes a first Zener diode and a second Zener diode. A cathode of the first Zener diode is coupled to a first power supply line. An anode of the first Zener diode is coupled to an anode of the second Zener diode. A cathode of the second Zener diode is coupled to a second power supply line. The isolation circuit includes a first isolation diode and a second isolation diode. A cathode of the first isolation diode is coupled to the first power supply line. An anode of the first isolation diode is coupled to a cathode of the second isolation diode and a circuit being protected. An anode of the second isolation diode is coupled to the second power supply line.

A semiconductor device includes an isolation feature in a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a first source/drain feature in the substrate, wherein a first side of the first source/drain feature contacts the isolation feature, and the first source/drain feature exposes a portion of the isolation feature below a top surface of the substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a silicide layer over the first source/drain feature. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer along the exposed portion of the isolation feature below the top surface of the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer contacts the silicide layer. The semiconductor device further includes a second source/drain feature in the substrate on an opposite side of a gate stack from the first source/drain feature, wherein the second source/drain feature has a substantially uniform thickness.

An insulation film includes a first opening portion in at least one of a cell region and a termination region, and a second opening portion in an interface region. The second opening portion has an opening ratio lower than an opening ratio of the first opening portion. The semiconductor device includes a first impurity layer of a second conductivity type, and a second impurity layer of the second conductivity type. The first impurity layer is disposed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate below the first opening portion. The second impurity layer has impurity concentration lower than impurity concentration of the first impurity layer, and is disposed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate below the second opening portion.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type region including a first conductivity type impurity. A first gate structure is on the semiconductor substrate overlying the first conductivity type region. A second conductivity type region including a second conductivity type impurity is formed in the semiconductor substrate. A barrier layer is located between the first conductivity type region and the second conductivity type region. The barrier layer prevents diffusion of the second conductivity type impurity from the second conductivity type region into the first conductivity type region.

A transistor comprising a gallium nitride layer having a first gate electrode partially penetrating into it, having: a first side coated with a first thickness of a first insulating material and of a second insulating material; and with a second thickness of a conductive material; and a bottom coated with a third thickness, smaller than the first thickness, of the first insulating material.

The invention relates to an avalanche diode that can be employed as an ESD protection device. An avalanche ignition region is formed at the p-n junction of the diode and includes an enhanced defect concentration level to provide rapid onset of avalanche current. The avalanche ignition region is preferably formed wider than the diode depletion zone, and is preferably created by placement, preferably by ion implantation, of an atomic specie different from that of the principal device structure. The doping concentration of the placed atomic specie should be sufficiently high to ensure substantially immediate onset of avalanche current when the diode breakdown voltage is exceeded. The new atomic specie preferably comprises argon or nitrogen, but other atomic species can be employed. However, other means of increasing a defect concentration level in the diode depletion zone, such as an altered annealing program, are also contemplated.

A method of forming a fin field effect transistor (finFET) having fin(s) with reduced dimensional variations, including forming a dummy fin trench within a perimeter of a fin pattern region on a substrate, forming a dummy fin fill in the dummy fin trench, forming a plurality of vertical fins within the perimeter of the fin pattern region, including border fins at the perimeter of the fin pattern region and interior fins located within the perimeter and inside the bounds of the border fins, wherein the border fins are formed from the dummy fin fill, and removing the border fins, wherein the border fins are dummy fins and the interior fins are active vertical fins.

In a semiconductor device, a high-side potential determination circuit outputs an event signal when a high-side reference potential detected by a high-side potential detection circuit rises. If at that time an input logic signal for controlling a high side is at a low (L) level, a pulse generation circuit regenerates a reset signal for a high-side drive circuit. When the input logic signal for controlling the high side is at the L level and the event signal is inputted, an overcurrent detection determination circuit makes an overcurrent detection signal from an overcurrent detection circuit invalid. When the event signal is not inputted, the overcurrent detection determination circuit makes the overcurrent detection signal valid.

A semiconductor structure includes a gate structure disposed on a substrate. At least one lightly doped region adjoins the gate structure in the substrate. The at least one lightly doped region has a first conductivity type. A source feature and a drain feature are on opposite sides of the gate structure in the substrate. The source feature and the drain feature have the first conductivity type. The source feature is in the at least one lightly doped region. A bulk pick-up region adjoins the source feature in the at least one lightly doped region. The bulk pick-up region has a second conductivity type.

A bidirectional electrostatic discharge protection device and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed. The protection device includes a heavily-doped semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor epitaxial layer, a second semiconductor epitaxial layer, a heavily-doped area, and a lightly-doped area. The substrate, the heavily-doped area, and the lightly-doped area have a first conductivity type and the epitaxial layers have a second conductivity type. The first semiconductor epitaxial layer and the second semiconductor epitaxial layer are sequentially formed on the substrate, and the heavily-doped area and the lightly-doped area are formed in the second semiconductor epitaxial layer. The lightly-doped area covers the corner of the heavily-doped area, and the breakdown voltage of a junction between the heavily-doped semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor epitaxial layer corresponds to the breakdown voltage of a junction between the second semiconductor epitaxial layer and the heavily-doped area.