A semiconductor device includes a first silicon carbide region of a first conductivity type, a second silicon carbide region of a second conductivity type on the first region, and a third silicon carbide region of a second conductivity type on the second region. Fourth and fifth silicon carbide region of the first conductivity type are on the third region. A first electrode has a first portion between the fourth region and fifth region in a first direction. A metal silicide layer is between the first portion and the third region, between the first portion and the fourth region in the first direction, and between the first portion and the fifth silicon carbide region in the first direction.

Provided is a method for polishing a material having a Vickers hardness of 1500 Hv or higher. The polishing method comprises a step of carrying out preliminary polishing using a preliminary polishing composition that comprises an abrasive A.sub.PRE and a step of carrying out final polishing using a final polishing composition that comprises an abrasive A.sub.FIN lower in hardness than the abrasive A.sub.PRE.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming first gate structure and a second gate structure over a core device region of a substrate. The method further includes forming stressors at opposite sides of the first gate structure. The method further includes doping the stressors to form a first source region and a first drain region of a first device. The method further includes doping into the substrate and at opposite sides of the second gate structure to form a second source region and a second drain region of a second device, wherein the first source region, the first drain region, the second source region and the second drain region are of a same conductivity. The first source region includes a different material from the second source region.

A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, an alternating-current electrode, a first switching element provided between the first electrode and the alternating-current electrode, and a second switching element provided between the second electrode and the alternating-current electrode. The first switching element and the second switching element are electrically connected in series between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the alternating-current electrode is electrically connected between the first switching element and the second switching element.

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, an n-type first SiC region provided between the first metal layer and the second metal layer and having an n-type impurity concentration of 110.sup.18 cm.sup.3 or less, and a conductive layer provided between the first SiC region and the first metal layer and containing titanium (Ti), oxygen (O), and at least one element selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and tantalum (Ta).

A semiconductor device and method for fabricating such a device are presented. The semiconductor device includes a fin extending away from a substrate, a plurality of epitaxially grown regions disposed along a top surface of the fin, and at least two contacts that provide electrical contact to the fin. The plurality of epitaxially grown regions are arranged to alternate with regions having no epitaxial material grown on the top surface of the fin. A resistance exists between the two contacts that is at least partially based on the arrangement of the plurality of epitaxially grown regions.

The method for preventing epitaxial growth in a semiconductor device begins with cutting a set of long fins into a set of fins of a FinFET structure. Each of the set of fins has respective cut faces located at the fin ends of a set of fin ends. A photoresist layer is patterned over the set of fin ends on the set of fins of the FinFET structure. The set of fins are isolated from one another by a first dielectric material. The photoresist is patterned over the set of fin ends so that it differs from the photoresist pattern over other areas of the FinFET structure. A set of dielectric blocks is formed on the set of fin ends using the photoresist pattern. The set of dielectric blocks prevents epitaxial growth at the set of fin ends in a subsequent epitaxial growth step.

In one embodiment, a power MOSFET vertically conducts current. A bottom electrode may be connected to a positive voltage, and a top electrode may be connected to a low voltage, such as a load connected to ground. A gate and/or a field plate, such as polysilicon, is within a trench. The trench has a tapered oxide layer insulating the polysilicon from the silicon walls. The oxide is much thicker near the bottom of the trench than near the top to increase the breakdown voltage. The tapered oxide is formed by implanting nitrogen into the trench walls to form a tapered nitrogen dopant concentration. This forms a tapered silicon nitride layer after an anneal. The tapered silicon nitride variably inhibits oxide growth in a subsequent oxidation step.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a method of forming a semiconductor device having a strained channel and an associated device. In some embodiments, the method includes performing a first etching process by selectively exposing a substrate to a first etchant to produce a recess defined by sidewalls and a bottom surface of the substrate. An implantation process is performed to form an etch stop layer along the bottom surface. A second etching process is performed by exposing the sidewalls and the bottom surface defining the recess to a second etchant to form a source/drain recess. The source/drain recess laterally extends past the etch stop layer in opposing directions. A semiconductor material is formed within the source/drain recess.

A timer including a sensor and a radiation source is used to prevent counterfeiting of integrated circuits. The timer confirms the date code of the integrated circuit resulting in a more secure supply chain.