A transistor device includes a semiconductor structure, source and drain contacts on the semiconductor structure, a gate on the semiconductor structure between the source and drain contacts, and a surface passivation layer on the semiconductor structure between the gate and the source or drain contact. The surface passivation layer includes an opening therein that exposes a first region of the semiconductor structure for processing the first region differently than a second region of the semiconductor structure adjacent the gate. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, the substrate having an opening formed from the first surface toward the second surface; a semiconductor device layer having a third surface facing the second surface; and a heat transfer member disposed in the opening, the heat transfer member being configured to transfer heat generated by the semiconductor device layer to the first surface, wherein the heat transfer member includes a diamond layer and a metal layer, the diamond layer covering a bottom surface and an inner wall surface of the opening, and the metal layer being disposed on the diamond layer.

A semiconductor device (300) comprising: a doped semiconductor substrate (302); an epitaxial layer (304), disposed on top of the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a lower concentration of dopant than the substrate; a switching region disposed on top of the epitaxial layer; and a contact diffusion (350) disposed on top of the epitaxial layer, the contact diffusion having a higher concentration of dopant than the epitaxial layer; wherein the epitaxial layer forms a barrier between the contact diffusion and the substrate.

An apparatus configured to reduce lag includes a substrate; a group III-Nitride back barrier layer on the substrate; a group III-Nitride channel layer on the group III-Nitride back barrier layer; a group III-Nitride barrier layer on the group III-Nitride channel layer, the group III-Nitride barrier layer include a higher bandgap than a bandgap of the group III-Nitride channel layer; a source electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a gate on the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a drain electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; and a p-region being arranged at or below the group III-Nitride barrier layer. Additionally, at least a portion of the p-region is arranged vertically below at least one of the following: the source, the gate, an area between the gate and the drain.

An apparatus for reducing lag includes a substrate; a group III-Nitride barrier layer; a source electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a gate on the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a drain electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a p-region being arranged at or below the group III-Nitride barrier layer; and a gate control circuit configured to control a gate voltage of the gate. Additionally, at least a portion of the p-region is arranged vertically below at least one of the following: the source, the gate, and an area between the gate and the drain.

An apparatus includes a substrate; a group III-Nitride barrier layer; a source electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a gate on the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a drain electrically coupled to the group III-Nitride barrier layer; a p-region being arranged at or below the group III-Nitride barrier layer; and a recovery enhancement circuit configured to reduce an impact of an overload received by the gate. Additionally, at least a portion of the p-region is arranged vertically below at least one of the following: the source, the gate, an area between the gate and the drain.

A lateral power semiconductor device structure comprises a pad-over-active topology wherein on-chip interconnect metallization and contact pad placement is optimized to reduce interconnect resistance. For a lateral GaN HEMT, wherein drain, source and gate finger electrodes extend between first and second edges of an active region, the source and drain buses run across the active region at positions intermediate the first and second edges of the active region, interconnecting first and second portions of the source fingers and drain fingers which extend laterally towards the first and second edges of the active region. External contact to pads are placed on the source and drain buses. For a given die size, this interconnect structure reduces lengths of current paths in the source and drain metal interconnect, and provides, for example, at least one of lower interconnect resistance, increased current capability per unit active area, and increased active area usage per die.

Circuit-Under-Pad (CUP) device topologies for high-current lateral power switching devices are disclosed, in which the interconnect structure and pad placement are configured for reduced source and common source inductance. In an example topology for a power semiconductor device comprising a lateral GaN HEMT, the source bus runs across a center of the active area, substantially centered between first and second extremities of source finger electrodes, with laterally extending tabs contacting the underlying source finger electrodes. The drain bus is spaced from the source bus and comprises laterally extending tabs contacting the underlying drain finger electrodes. The gate bus is centrally placed and runs adjacent the source bus. Preferably, the interconnect structure comprises a dedicated gate return bus to separate the gate drive loop from the power loop. Proposed CUP device structures provide for lower source and common source inductance and/or higher current carrying capability per unit device area.

A semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first low-permittivity region provided in a region that is between first metals in an in-plane direction of a semiconductor layer and below a lower surface of the first metal in a stacking direction of the semiconductor layer; and a second low-permittivity region provided in a region that is between a contact plug and the gate electrode in the in-plane direction and below the first low-permittivity region in the stacking direction. A planar region of the second low-permittivity region is at least partially different from that of the first low-permittivity region.

Provided are an input matching circuit, at least one amplifying transistor that receives a signal from the input matching circuit, a first dummy transistor that receives a signal from the input matching circuit, a second dummy transistor that receives a signal from the input matching circuit, and an output matching circuit that outputs an output of the amplifying transistor, the amplifying transistor being arranged between the first dummy transistor and the second dummy transistor, the amplifying transistor, the first dummy transistor, and the second dummy transistor being provided in a row along the input matching circuit.