A power inverter includes a bridge circuit including a first half-bridge and a second half-bridge, each half-bridge including a high-side device and a low-side device, and a gate driver circuit connected with each gate of the high-side device and low-side power device of the first and second half-bridges and operable to provide each gate with a respective voltage to control operation of the respective power device. The gate driver is operable to provide a first voltage which is higher than a first threshold voltage of the respective power device, and a second voltage which is higher than a surge threshold of the respective power device. The surge threshold is higher than the first threshold and defines the onset of a surge current operation area of the respective power device at which the power device becomes conducts a surge current that is larger than the rated current of the device.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having first and second surfaces, a first electrode and a first gate electrode along the first surface, and a second electrode and a second gate electrode along the second surface. The layer includes a first type first region, a second type second region between the first region and the first surface and facing the first gate electrode, a first type third region between the second region and the first surface and contacting the first electrode, a second type fourth region between the first region and the second surface, facing the second gate electrode, and contacting the second electrode, and a first type fifth region between the fourth region and the second surface and contacting the second electrode. Transistors including the first and second gate electrodes have different threshold voltages that are both positive or negative.

A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer including a main IGBT cell and a sense IGBT cell connected in parallel to each other, a first resistance portion having a first resistance value formed using a gate wiring portion of the sense IGBT cell and a second resistance portion having a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, a gate wiring electrically connected through mutually different channels to the first resistance portion and the second resistance portion, a first diode provided between the gate wiring and the first resistance portion, a second diode provided between the gate wiring and the second resistance portion in a manner oriented reversely to the first diode, an emitter electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, electrically connected to an emitter of the main IGBT cell, and a sense emitter electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, electrically connected to an emitter of the sense IGBT cell.

A vertical fin field effect transistor including a doped region in a substrate, wherein the doped region has the same crystal orientation as the substrate, a first portion of a vertical fin on the doped region, wherein the first portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the substrate and a first portion width, a second portion of the vertical fin on the first portion of the vertical fin, wherein the second portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the first portion of the vertical fin, and the second portion of the vertical fin has a second portion width less than the first portion width, a gate structure on the second portion of the vertical fin, and a source/drain region on the top of the second portion of the vertical fin.

A vertical fin field effect transistor including a doped region in a substrate, wherein the doped region has the same crystal orientation as the substrate, a first portion of a vertical fin on the doped region, wherein the first portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the substrate and a first portion width, a second portion of the vertical fin on the first portion of the vertical fin, wherein the second portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the first portion of the vertical fin, and the second portion of the vertical fin has a second portion width less than the first portion width, a gate structure on the second portion of the vertical fin, and a source/drain region on the top of the second portion of the vertical fin.

A vertical fin field effect transistor including a doped region in a substrate, wherein the doped region has the same crystal orientation as the substrate, a first portion of a vertical fin on the doped region, wherein the first portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the substrate and a first portion width, a second portion of the vertical fin on the first portion of the vertical fin, wherein the second portion of the vertical fin has the same crystal orientation as the first portion of the vertical fin, and the second portion of the vertical fin has a second portion width less than the first portion width, a gate structure on the second portion of the vertical fin, and a source/drain region on the top of the second portion of the vertical fin.

Structures for a heterojunction bipolar transistor and methods of fabricating such structures. A hardmask is formed that includes an opening over a first portion of a substrate in a first device region and a shape over a second portion of the substrate in a second device region. An oxidized region in the first portion of the substrate while the shape blocks oxidation of the second portion of the substrate. The oxidized region is subsequently removed from the first portion of the substrate to define a recess. A first base and a first emitter of a first heterojunction bipolar transistor are formed over the first portion of the substrate in the first device region, and a second base and a second emitter of a second heterojunction bipolar transistor are formed in the recess over the second portion of the substrate in the second device region.

Structures for a heterojunction bipolar transistor and methods of fabricating such structures. A hardmask is formed that includes an opening over a first portion of a substrate in a first device region and a shape over a second portion of the substrate in a second device region. An oxidized region in the first portion of the substrate while the shape blocks oxidation of the second portion of the substrate. The oxidized region is subsequently removed from the first portion of the substrate to define a recess. A first base and a first emitter of a first heterojunction bipolar transistor are formed over the first portion of the substrate in the first device region, and a second base and a second emitter of a second heterojunction bipolar transistor are formed in the recess over the second portion of the substrate in the second device region.

A semiconductor device includes transistor cells and enhancement cells. Each transistor cell includes a body zone that forms a first pn junction with a drift structure. The transistor cells may form, in the body zones, inversion channels when a first control signal exceeds a first threshold. The inversion channels form part of a connection between the drift structure and a first load electrode. A delay unit generates a second control signal which trailing edge is delayed with respect to a trailing edge of the first control signal. The enhancement cells form inversion layers in the drift structure when the second control signal falls below a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The inversion layers are effective as minority charge carrier emitters.

This specification discloses methods for integrating a SiGe-based HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor) and a Si-based BJT (bipolar junction transistor) together in a single manufacturing process that does not add a lot of process complexity, and an integrated circuit that can be fabricated utilizing such a streamlined manufacturing process. In some embodiments, such an integrated circuit can enjoy both the benefits of a higher RF (radio frequency) performance for the SiGe HBT and a lower leakage current for the Si-based BJT. In some embodiments, such an integrated circuit can be applied to an ESD (electrostatic discharge) clamp circuit, in order to achieve a lower, or no, yield-loss.