A semiconductor structure for facilitating an integration of power devices on a common substrate includes a first insulating layer formed on the substrate and an active region having a first conductivity type formed on at least a portion of the first insulating layer. 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.

An avalanche-protected field effect transistor includes, within a semiconductor substrate, a body semiconductor layer and a doped body contact region having a doping of a first conductivity type, and a source region a drain region having a doping of a second conductivity type. A buried first-conductivity-type well may be located within the semiconductor substrate. The buried first-conductivity-type well underlies, and has an areal overlap in a plan view with, the drain region, and is vertically spaced apart from the drain region, and has a higher atomic concentration of dopants of the first conductivity type than the body semiconductor layer. The configuration of the field effect transistor induces more than 90% of impact ionization electrical charges during avalanche breakdown to flow from the source region, to pass through the buried first-conductivity-type well, and to impinge on a bottom surface of the drain region.

A semiconductor power device may include a lightly doped layer formed on a heavily doped layer. One or more devices are formed in the lightly doped layer. Each device may include a body region, a source region, and one or more gate electrodes formed in corresponding trenches in the lightly doped region. Each of the trenches has a depth in a first dimension, a width in a second dimension and a length in a third dimension. The body region is of opposite conductivity type to the lightly and heavily doped layers. The source region is formed proximate the upper surface. One or more deep contacts are formed at one or more locations along the third dimension proximate one or more of the trenches. The contacts extend in the first direction from the upper surface into the lightly doped layer and are in electrical contact with the source region.

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes two N-metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) elements and a doped region. The two NMOS elements are arranged on a P-substrate, and each NMOS element includes a gate, a source, and a drain. The source and the drain are arranged on two opposite sides of the gate. The doped region is implanted into an outer space of the two NMOS surrounding the two NMOS, and a PN junction is formed by the doped region and the P-substrate.

A vertical bipolar transistor device includes a heavily-doped semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor epitaxial layer, at least one doped well, an isolation structure, and an external conductor. The heavily-doped semiconductor substrate and the doped well have a first conductivity type, and the first semiconductor epitaxial layer has a second conductivity type. The first semiconductor epitaxial layer is formed on the heavily-doped semiconductor substrate. The doped well is formed in the first semiconductor epitaxial layer. The isolation structure, formed in the heavily-doped semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor epitaxial layer, surrounds the first semiconductor epitaxial layer and the at least one doped well. The external conductor is arranged outside the first semiconductor epitaxial layer and the doped well and electrically connected to the first semiconductor epitaxial layer and the doped well.

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.

Provided is a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same. The device has a substrate including one and another surfaces. A first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type is formed in the substrate. A second conductivity type, second semiconductor region is provided in a first surface layer, that includes the one surface, of the substrate. A first electrode is in contact with the second semiconductor region to form a junction therebetween. A first conductivity type, third semiconductor region is provided in a second surface layer, that includes the another surface, of the substrate. The third semiconductor region has a higher impurity concentration than the first semiconductor region. A fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type is provided in the first semiconductor region at a location deeper than the third semiconductor region from the another surface. A second electrode is in contact with the third semiconductor region.

A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, a device isolating region in the semiconductor substrate, defining an active area, and having a second conductivity type, a body region in the active area and having the first conductivity type, and a drain region in the active area and spaced from the body region to define a conduction path of the device, the drain region having the second conductivity type. At least one of the body region and the device isolating region includes a plurality of peripheral, constituent regions disposed along a lateral periphery of the active area, each peripheral, constituent region defining a non-uniform spacing between the device isolating region and the body region. The non-uniform spacing at a respective peripheral region of the plurality of peripheral, constituent regions establishes a first breakdown voltage lower than a second breakdown voltage in the conduction path.

The present invention provides a Zener diode and a manufacturing method thereof. The Zener diode includes: a semiconductor layer, an N-type region, and a P-type region. The N-type region has N-type conductivity, wherein the N-type region is formed in the semiconductor layer beneath an upper surface of the semiconductor layer, and in contact with the upper surface. The P-type region has P-type conductivity, wherein the P-type region is formed in the semiconductor layer and is completely beneath the N-type region, and in contact with the N-type region. The N-type region overlays the entire P-type region. The N-type region has an N-type conductivity dopant concentration, wherein the N-type conductivity dopant concentration is higher than a P-type conductivity dopant concentration of the P-type region.

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a semiconductor substrate; a diffusion layer; a first depletion prevention region; a channel stopper electrode, a monitor electrode and an insulating film. The inner edge portion of the monitor electrode is positioned between the diffusion layer and the first depletion prevention region. A distance between the outer edge portion of the channel stopper electrode and the inner edge portion of the monitor electrode is a first distance. A distance between the diffusion layer and the first depletion prevention region is a second distance. The first and second distances are set so that a discharge voltage between the channel stopper electrode and the monitor electrode becomes greater than an avalanche breakdown voltage at a PN junction portion of the diffusion layer and the semiconductor substrate.