A semiconductor device contains a Zener-triggered transistor having a Zener diode vertically integrated in a first current node of the Zener-triggered transistor. The first current node includes an n-type semiconductor material contacting a p-type semiconductor material in a substrate. The Zener diode includes an n-type cathode contacting the first current node, and a p-type anode contacting the n-type cathode and contacting the p-type semiconductor material. The semiconductor device may be formed using an implant mask, with an opening for the Zener diode. Boron and arsenic are implanted into the substrate in an area exposed by the opening in the implant mask. The substrate is subsequently heated to diffuse and activate the implanted boron and arsenic. The Zener-triggered transistor may be used in an ESD circuit or a snubber circuit.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a doped well in the substrate, wherein the doped well comprises a first concentration of dopants of a first type in the substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a doped region in the substrate, wherein the doped region comprises a second concentration of the dopants of the first type, the doped region extends around the doped well, and the doped region is electrically insulated from the doped well. The semiconductor device further includes an active area, and wherein the active area comprises an emitter region and a collector region, wherein the emitter region is electrically connected to the doped region. The semiconductor device further includes a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure extending through the active area and between the emitter region and the collector region.

Some embodiments of the application provide a filter circuit that is based on a MOS field effect transistor and a chip including the same. The filter circuit includes a first MOS field effect transistor and an electrostatic discharge unit; a gate of the first MOS field effect transistor and a substrate form a filter capacitance during normal operation; the electrostatic discharge unit and the first MOS field effect transistor form a discharge path that transfers aggregated electrostatic charges to ground when an ESD event occurs. On the basis of the first MOS field effect transistor, it is added to some embodiments of the present application an electrostatic discharge unit, which combines a capacitance characteristic and a characteristic of the ESD discharge path between the power supply and the ground to the same circuit, so that the circuit presents the capacitance characteristic during normal operation; an ESD discharge path is provided when an ESD event occurs between the power supply and the ground, which plays a role of ESD protection, thereby enhancing the ESD capability of the chip.

A semiconductor apparatus includes a first cell having a first interconnect structure and a second cell having a second interconnect structure. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a first plurality of conductive segments, wherein each conductive segment of the first plurality of conductive segments directly connects a first metal level of the first interconnect structure to a first metal level of the second interconnect structure. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a third cell having a third interconnect structure and a fourth cell having a fourth interconnect structure. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a second plurality of conductive segments, wherein each conductive segment of the second plurality of conductive segments directly connects a second metal level of the third interconnect structure to a second metal level of the fourth interconnect structure, and the second metal level is different from the first metal level.

A metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor structure is provided herein having one or more horizontal and/or one or more vertical MOS transistor structures formed around trench and liner isolation regions. The trench region serves as a gate electrode, while the liner is formed around the sidewalls of trench region and serves as a gate dielectric of a parasitic MOS within the transistor structure. The MOS transistor structure includes various doped regions formed around one or more portions of the trench and liner regions. The doped regions can have one or more different doping types such that in response to a voltage applied to the trench region, a channel region is formed in at least one of the doped regions and provides a current path within the MOS transistor between different doped regions.

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure that provides snapback protections to one or more high voltage circuit components. The ESD protection structure can be integrated along a peripheral region of a high voltage circuit, such as a high side gate driver of a driver circuit. The ESD protection structure includes a p-channel device and an n-channel device. The p-channel device includes an n-type barrier region circumscribing a p-type drain region with an n-type body region. The p-channel device may be positioned adjacent to the n-channel device and a high voltage junction diode.

A semiconductor device includes a guard active area formed in a substrate, a plurality of transistors disposed in an element area adjacent to the guard active area, each of the transistors including an active area and a gate structure crossing the active area, and a diode transistor disposed between a first transistor and a second transistor among the transistors, and having a diode gate structure connected to the guard active area, a first active area connected to a gate structure of the first transistor, and a second active area connected to a gate structure of the second transistor.

A semiconductor chip may have at least one p-channel field effect transistor (FET), at least one n-channel FET, a first and a second power supply terminal, wherein the at least one n-channel FET, if supplied with the upper supply potential at its gate, supplies the lower supply potential to the gate of the at least one p-channel FET and the at least one p-channel FET, if supplied with the lower supply potential at its gate, supplies the upper supply potential to the gate of the at least one n-channel FET, a precharge circuit to precharge the circuit to a first state, and a detection circuit configured to output an alarm signal if the circuit enters a second state.

An electrostatic-discharge (ESD) protection circuit is provided. The circuit includes an I/O terminal coupled for receiving a signal having a negative voltage relative to a voltage supply terminal. An ESD transistor is formed in an isolated well. The transistor includes a control electrode and a first current electrode coupled to the I/O terminal. The isolated well is configured as a body electrode of the transistor. An ESD diode includes an anode electrode coupled to the voltage supply terminal and a cathode electrode coupled to a second current electrode of the transistor.

A high-voltage circuitry device is provided. The high-voltage circuitry device includes a high-voltage transistor, a protection component and a feedback component. The high-voltage transistor has a gate, a drain and a source. The protection component is coupled between the source of the high-voltage transistor and the ground. When a current corresponding to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event flows through the drain of the high-voltage transistor, the current flows from the drain of the high-voltage transistor to the ground through the high-voltage transistor and the protection component. The feedback component is coupled between the protection component, the ground and the gate of the high-voltage transistor. When the ESD event occurs, the feedback component enables the high-voltage transistor to stay on a turned-on state to pass the current.