There are provided a transistor including a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer thereabove, a first impurity region of a second conductivity type provided in an upper layer part of the second semiconductor layer, a second impurity region of a first conductivity type provided in an upper layer part of the first impurity region, a gate electrode facing the first impurity region and the second semiconductor layer with a gate insulating film interposed in between, and first and second main electrodes; a parasitic transistor with the second impurity region as a collector, the first and the second semiconductor layers as an emitter, and the first impurity region as a base; a parasitic diode with the first impurity region as an anode, and the first and the second semiconductor layers as a cathode; and a pn junction diode with the first impurity region as an anode, and the second impurity region as a cathode.

Provided is a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of gate trench sections formed in the semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of emitter trench sections formed in the semiconductor substrate, one or more emitter trench sections provided in each region between adjacent gate trench sections of the plurality of gate trench sections, wherein the semiconductor device includes at least one of: pairs of gate trench sections in which at least two gate trench sections of the plurality of gate trench sections are connected; and a pair of emitter trench sections in which at least two emitter trench sections of the plurality of emitter trench sections are connected.

The present disclosure relates to a polysilicon-diode triggered compact silicon controlled rectifier. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a structure including a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) which includes an n-well adjacent and in direct contact with a p-well, the SCR includes at least one shallow trench isolation (STI) region, and at least one polysilicon diode on top of the at least one STI region.

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) power device includes an active region formed on a bulk semiconductor substrate, the active region having a first conductivity type formed on at least a portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate. A first terminal is formed on an upper surface of the structure and electrically connects with at least one other region having the first conductivity type formed in the active region. A buried well having a second conductivity type is formed in the active region and is coupled with a second terminal formed on the upper surface of the structure. The buried well and the active region form a clamping diode which positions a breakdown avalanche region between the buried well and the first terminal. A breakdown voltage of at least one of the power devices is a function of characteristics of the buried well.

The invention solves the problem of depressed SOA of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) when operated in an open base configuration by integrating in the same semiconductor chip a switchable short between the base and the emitter of the BJT. The switchable short switches between a high resistive value when the collector voltage of the BJT is lower than the base voltage. and a lower resistive value when the collector voltage is higher than the voltage base to effectively lower the BJT current gain (h.sub.FE). The switchable short in one implementation of the invention is in the form of a MOSFET with its gate connected to the BJT collector. The invention further teaches disposing in the integrated circuit chip a junction diode with a breakdown voltage lower than the BVCBO of the BJT. The addition of the junction diode provides a measure of maintaining the effectiveness of the MOSFET as switchable short at a reduced size.

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 semiconductor integrated circuit device may include a pad, a first voltage protection circuit and a second voltage protection circuit. The first voltage protection circuit may be connected with the pad. The second voltage protecting circuit may be connected between the first voltage protection circuit and a ground terminal. The first voltage protection circuit may include a gate positive p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (GPPMOS) transistor. The second voltage protection circuit may include serially connected GPPMOS transistors.

A power element includes a substrate structure, an insulation layer, a dielectric layer, a transistor, and a plurality of zener diodes. The transistor is located in a transistor formation region of the substrate structure. The plurality of zener diodes are located in a circuit element formation region of the substrate structure and connected in series with each other. Each of the zener diodes includes a zener diode doping structure and a zener diode metal structure. The zener diode doping structure is formed on the insulation layer and is covered by the dielectric layer. The zener diode doping structure includes a P-type doped region and an N-type doped region that are in contact with each other. The zener diode metal structure is formed on the dielectric layer and partially passes through the dielectric layer to be electrically connected to the P-type doped region and the N-type doped region.

Semiconductor memory cells, array and methods of operating are disclosed. In one instance, a memory cell includes a bi-stable floating body transistor and an access device; wherein the bi-stable floating body transistor and the access device are electrically connected in series.

A device comprises a high voltage n well and a high voltage p well over a buried layer, a first low voltage n well over the high voltage n well, wherein a bottom portion of the first low voltage n well is surrounded by the high voltage n well, an N+ region over the first low voltage n well, a second low voltage n well and a low voltage p well over the high voltage p well, a first P+ region over the second low voltage n well and a second P+ region over the low voltage p well.