A variable inductor which comprises a primary conductor, first and second secondary conductors and one or more switch. The primary conductor has a first node and a second node, wherein the first node is used to connect a first external component and the second node is used to connect a second external component. The first and second secondary conductors magnetically couple to the primary conductor. The one or more switch has two sides connected to the first or second secondary conductor, respectively. The first and second secondary conductors are formed a single-loop structure with two or more changeable current paths which are operated by the states of the one or more switch. An integrated circuit using the variable inductor is also introduced.

Bi-stable static random access memory (SRAM) bit cells that facilitate direct writing for storage are disclosed. In one aspect, a bi-stable SRAM bit cell includes source and drain regions, and a gate region formed over a well region between the source and drain regions, which results in two (2) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) formed within a bi-stable SRAM bit cell. A base tap region and a collector tap region are employed to provide voltages for read and write operations. The base tap region is formed beside a shallow trench isolation (STI) region having a bottom surface higher in a Y-axis direction in the well region than a bottom surface of the well region. The collector tap region is formed on one side of an STI region having a bottom surface lower in the Y-axis direction in the substrate than the bottom surface of the well region.

A semiconductor device includes a floating buried doped region, a first doped region disposed between the floating buried doped region and a first major surface, and a semiconductor region disposed between the floating buried doped region and a second major surface. A trench isolation structure extends from the first major surface and terminates within the semiconductor region and the floating buried doped region abuts the trench isolation structure. A second doped region is disposed in the first doped region has an opposite conductivity type to the first doped region. A first isolation device is disposed in the first doped region and is configured to divert current injected into the semiconductor device from other regions thereby delaying the triggering of an internal SCR structure. In one embodiment, a second isolation structure is disposed within the first doped region and is configured to disrupt a leakage path along a sidewall surface of the trench isolation structure.

A simplified method for forming pairs of non-volatile memory cells using two polysilicon depositions. A first polysilicon layer is formed on and insulated from the semiconductor substrate in a first polysilicon deposition process. A pair of spaced apart insulation blocks are formed on the first polysilicon layer. Exposed portions of the first poly silicon layer are removed while maintaining a pair of polysilicon blocks of the first polysilicon layer each disposed under one of the pair of insulation blocks. A second polysilicon layer is formed over the substrate and the pair of insulation blocks in a second polysilicon deposition process. Portions of the second polysilicon layer are removed while maintaining a first polysilicon block (disposed between the pair of insulation blocks), a second polysilicon block (disposed adjacent an outer side of one insulation block), and a third polysilicon block (disposed adjacent an outer side of the other insulation block).

Various embodiments are directed to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus comprising a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) having terminals, a field-effect transistor (FET) having terminals, and a common base region connected to a recombination region. The BJT and the FET are integrated with one another and include a common region that is shared by the BJT and the FET. The BJT and FET collectively bias the common base region and prevent triggering of the BJT by causing a potential of the common base region to follow a potential of one of the terminals of the BJT in response to an excessive but tolerable non-ESD voltage change at one or more of the terminals.

Bi-stable static random access memory (SRAM) bit cells that facilitate direct writing for storage are disclosed. In one aspect, a bi-stable SRAM bit cell includes source and drain regions, and a gate region formed over a well region between the source and drain regions, which results in two (2) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) formed within a bi-stable SRAM bit cell. A base tap region and a collector tap region are employed to provide voltages for read and write operations. The base tap region is formed beside a shallow trench isolation (STI) region having a bottom surface higher in a Y-axis direction in the well region than a bottom surface of the well region. The collector tap region is formed on one side of an STI region having a bottom surface lower in the Y-axis direction in the substrate than the bottom surface of the well region.

A vertical semiconductor structure with an integrated sampling structure and a method for manufacturing the same; the vertical semiconductor structure includes a vertical-semiconductor-structure unit cell, a sampling unit cell, a control electrode, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a sampling electrode. The sampling electrode performs real-time sampling of a voltage difference between the first electrode and the second electrode; a PN junction is formed between a first/second P-type diffusion region and a second N-type base region, which forms a potential barrier blocking electron emission from the sampling electrode. Therefore, a voltage signal of the sampling electrode is input into a protection circuit, which detects whether the vertical-semiconductor-structure unit cell is desaturated when it determines that the unit cell is in the open state. Second, a sampling resistor is connected between the sampling electrode and the first electrode to ensure the stable operation of the sampling unit cell.

Structures for a cascode integrated circuit and methods of forming such structures. A field-effect transistor of the structure includes a gate electrode finger, a first source/drain region, and a second source/drain region. A bipolar junction transistor of the structure includes a first terminal, a base layer with an intrinsic base portion arranged on the first terminal, and a second terminal that includes one or more fingers arranged on the intrinsic base portion of the base layer. The intrinsic base portion of the base layer is arranged in a vertical direction between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first source/drain region is coupled with the first terminal, and the first source/drain region at least partially surrounds the bipolar junction transistor.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, first and second body regions, a well region, a source region, a drain region, and first and second doped regions. The first and second body regions are disposed in first and second regions respectively. The well region is disposed in the first and second regions and between the first and second body regions. First and second portions of the source region are disposed in the first and second body regions respectively. The drain region is disposed on the well region. The first doped region is disposed in the well region. The second doped region is disposed on the first doped region. A first portion of the first doped region and a first portion of the second doped region are disposed in the well region of the first region and extend toward the first body region and out of the well region.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, first and second body regions, a well region, a source region, a drain region, and first and second doped regions. The first and second body regions are disposed in first and second regions respectively. The well region is disposed in the first and second regions and between the first and second body regions. First and second portions of the source region are disposed in the first and second body regions respectively. The drain region is disposed on the well region. The first doped region is disposed in the well region. The second doped region is disposed on the first doped region. A first portion of the first doped region and a first portion of the second doped region are disposed in the well region of the first region and extend toward the first body region and out of the well region.