The monitoring device is configured for monitoring a converter comprising a first and a second input terminals, two output terminals, a first filter branch connected between the input terminals, a second filter branch connected in parallel with the first branch, two switching branches connected in parallel with the second branch, each switching branch including two switching half-branches connected in series and in an intermediate point forming an output terminal.

The monitoring device comprises a detection impedance configured for being connected between the first and the second branches, and a detection module configured for comparing the voltage across the detection impedance with a predefined threshold, then for generating a detection signal as soon as said voltage is greater than said threshold.

A composite power element includes a substrate structure, an insulation layer, a dielectric layer, a MOSFET, and a Zener diode. The MOSFET is formed in a transistor formation region of the substrate structure. The Zener diode is formed in a circuit element formation region of the substrate structure, and includes a Zener diode doping structure that is formed in the substrate structure and is covered by the insulation layer. The Zener diode doping structure includes a first P-type doped region and a first N-type doped region that is formed on an inner side of the first P-type doped region. The Zener diode further includes a Zener diode metal structure that is formed on the dielectric layer and sequentially passes through the dielectric layer and the insulation layer to be electrically connected to the first P-type doped region and the first N-type doped region.

A bidirectional Zener diode of the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first electrode and a second electrode which are defined on the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of diffusion regions of a second conductivity type, which are defined at intervals from one another on a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate, to define p-n junctions with the semiconductor substrate, and the plurality of diffusion regions include diode regions which are electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, and pseudo-diode regions which are electrically isolated from the first electrode and the second electrode.

A semiconductor device comprising at least two holes (18, 20) realised in a substrate (6), having each a width and a depth, and forming a diode (4), wherein the substrate (6) has a determined type of doping, wherein the inner wall of each hole (18, 20) is doped so that its doping is of the other type than the doping of the substrate (6), and wherein the width and/or the depth of a hole (18, 20) is different from the width and/or the depth of a neighboring hole.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a well region of a first-conductivity-type, disposed in the substrate; a first impurity region of a first-conductivity-type disposed in the well region; a second impurity region of the second-conductivity-type disposed in the well region, the second-conductivity-type being opposite to the first-conductivity-type; a third impurity region disposed in the well region, a portion of the first impurity region overlapping a first portion of the third impurity region, a portion of the second impurity region overlapping a second portion of the third impurity region, and a third portion of the third impurity region being disposed between the first impurity region and the second impurity region; and a fourth impurity region and a barrier layer disposed in the substrate, the fourth impurity region and the barrier layer enclosing the well region from around and below, respectively.

A diode device of a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) is disclosed. The diode device includes a substrate, a first well, a second well, a first electrode and a second electrode. The substrate has a first surface. The first well is formed in the substrate and near the first surface. The second well is formed in the substrate and near the first surface. There is a gap between the first well and the second well. The first electrode is electrically connected with the first well. The second electrode is electrically connected with the second well. A current path is formed from the first electrode, the first well, the substrate, the second well to the second electrode. The current path passes through a plurality of PN junctions to form an equivalent circuit having a plurality of equivalent capacitances coupled in series.

Diodes and fabrication methods thereof are presented. The diodes include, for instance: a first semiconductor region disposed at least partially within a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type; and a second semiconductor region disposed at least partially within the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region having a second conductivity type, wherein the first semiconductor region separates the second semiconductor region from the substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate and the first semiconductor region have a sigma-shaped boundary. In another embodiment, the substrate and the first semiconductor region have U-shaped boundary. In a further embodiment, the first semiconductor region comprises an alloy of a first material and a second material, where the concentration of the second material varies from a maximum to a minimum, where the first semiconductor region adjacent to the second semiconductor region has the minimum of the concentration of the second material.

A semiconductor device, including a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, having a main surface with a diode trench formed therein, an inner wall insulating film, including a side wall insulating film, formed along side walls of the diode trench, and a bottom wall insulating film, formed along a bottom wall of the diode trench and having a thickness greater than a thickness of the side wall insulating film, and a bidirectional Zener diode, formed on the bottom wall insulating film inside the diode trench and having a pair of first conductivity type portions and at least one second conductivity type portion formed between the pair of first conductivity type portions.

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 composite power element and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The power element includes a substrate structure, an insulation layer, a dielectric layer, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), and a zener diode. The MOSFET is formed in a transistor formation region of the substrate structure. The zener diode is formed in a circuit element formation region of the substrate structure, and includes a zener diode doped structure formed on the insulation layer and covered by the dielectric layer. The zener diode doped structure includes a P-type doped region and an N-type doped region. The zener diode includes a zener diode metal structure 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. The zener diode is configured to receive a reverse bias voltage when the power element is energized.