Power MOS device, in which a power MOS transistor has a drain terminal that is coupled to a power supply node, a gate terminal that is coupled to a drive node and a source terminal that is coupled to a load node. A detection MOS transistor has a drain terminal that is coupled to a detection node, a gate terminal that is coupled to the drive node and a source terminal that is coupled to the load node. A detection resistor has a first terminal coupled to the power supply node and a second terminal coupled to the detection node.

A semiconductor device includes a transistor array and a sense pad. The transistor array includes a plurality of transistor cells electrically connected in parallel between a source electrode and a drain structure. The drain structure is formed in a semiconductor portion based on a single-crystalline wide bandgap material. A sense element formed from the wide bandgap material includes at least one rectifying junction electrically connected between the sense pad and the source electrode.

Provided are a semiconductor element and a semiconductor device capable of achieving on-resistance reduction and miniaturization. The semiconductor element is used in a semiconductor switch for protecting an electric circuit, and includes a semiconductor substrate SB, a MOS transistor Tr provided on the semiconductor substrate SB, and a source electrode SE provided on a front surface 2a side of the semiconductor substrate SB. The MOS transistor Tr includes an n-type source region 8 connected to the source electrode SE, an n-type drift region 21 arranged away from the source region 8, and a p-type well region 31 arranged between the source region 8 and the drift region 21. The source region 8 is interposed between the source electrode SE and the well region 31.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer of first-conductivity-type that has a main surface and that includes an active region set at the main surface, a current detection region set at the main surface away from the active region, and a boundary region set in a region between the active region and the current detection region at the main surface, a first body region of second-conductivity-type formed in a surface layer portion of the main surface at the active region, a first trench gate structure formed in the main surface at the active region, a second body region of second-conductivity-type formed in the surface layer portion of the main surface at the current detection region, a second trench gate structure formed in the main surface at the current detection region, a well region of second-conductivity-type formed in the surface layer portion of the main surface at the boundary region, and a dummy trench gate structure formed in an electrically floating state in the main surface at the boundary region.

In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a main transistor having a load path; a sense transistor configured to sense a main current flowing in the load path of the main transistor; and a bypass diode structure configured to protect the sense transistor and electrically coupled in parallel with the sense transistor. A sense transistor cell of the sense transistor includes a sense trench and a sense mesa. The sense trench and a bypass diode trench of the bypass diode structure form a common trench. The sense mesa and a bypass diode mesa of the bypass diode structure form a common mesa.

Semiconductor devices, and in particular semiconductor devices for improved resistance measurements and related methods are disclosed. Contact structures for semiconductor devices are disclosed that provide access to resistance measurements with reduced influence of testing-related resistances, thereby improving testing accuracy, particularly for semiconductor devices with low on-resistance ratings. A semiconductor device may include an active region and an inactive region that is arranged along a perimeter of the active region. The semiconductor device may be arranged with a topside contact to provide access for resistance measurements, for example Kelvin-sensing resistance measurements. Related methods include performing resistance measurements from a topside of the semiconductor device, even when the active region of the semiconductor device forms a vertical contact structure.

A semiconductor device 100 has a power transistor N1 of vertical structure and a temperature detection element 10a configured to detect abnormal heat generation by the power transistor N1. The power transistor N1 includes a first electrode 208 formed on a first main surface side (front surface side) of a semiconductor substrate 200, a second electrode 209 formed on a second main surface side (rear surface side) of the semiconductor substrate 200, and pads 210a-210f positioned unevenly on the first electrode 208. The temperature detection element 10a is formed at a location of the highest heat generation by the power transistor N1, the location (near the pad 210b where it is easiest for current to be concentrated) being specified using the uneven positioning of the pads 210a-210f.

An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.

A microelectronic device has a common terminal transistor with two or more channels, and sense transistors in corresponding areas of the channels. The channels and the sense transistors share a common node in a semiconductor substrate. The sense transistors are configured to provide sense currents that are representative of currents through the corresponding channels. The sense transistors are located so that a ratio of the channel currents to the corresponding sense currents is less than a target value of cross-talk. The microelectronic device may be implemented without a compensation circuit which provides a compensation signal used to adjust one or more of the sense currents to reduce cross-talk. A method of forming the microelectronic device, including estimating a potential distribution in the semiconductor substrate containing the common node of the common terminal transistor, and selecting locations for the sense transistors based on the estimated potential distribution, is disclosed.

First conductive layer is connected to an impurity region which is a source region or an emitter region. A first conductive layer having an emitter pad and a second conductive layer having a Kelvin emitter pad and a relay pad are separated. A plane occupied area of the Kelvin emitter pad is smaller than a plane occupied area of the emitter pad.