A package may include a plurality of stacked semiconductor devices (chips) is disclosed. Each chip may include through vias (through silicon viasTSV) that can provide an electrical connection between chips and between chips and external connections, such as solder connections or solder balls. Electro static discharge (ESD) protection circuitry may be placed on a bottom chip in the stack even when through vias connect circuitry on a top chip in the stack exclusive of the bottom chip. In this way, ESD protection circuitry may be placed in close proximity to the ESD event occurring at an external connection. In particular, every chip in the stack of semiconductor chips may have circuitry electrically connected to the external connection and by placing ESD protection circuitry on the bottom chip closest to the electrical connection, instead of on all chips ESD protection may be more area efficient. Furthermore, by only placing ESD protection circuitry on a bottom chip in a stack of semiconductor chips, ESD protection circuitry may not be included on other chips, so that total area may be reduced and more chips may be produced on a single silicon wafer.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of fin structures and a mesa structure from semiconductor material. The method further includes forming an epitaxial material with doped regions on the mesa structure and forming gate material over at least the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes planarizing at least the gate material such that the gate material and the epitaxial material are of a same height. The method further includes forming contacts in electrical connection with respective ones of the doped regions of the epitaxial material.

A reverse current protection (RCP) circuit is provided that includes an RCP switch coupled between a power supply rail and a buffer power supply node. A control circuit powered by a buffer supply voltage on the buffer power supply node controls the RCP switch to open in response to a discharge of a power supply voltage carried on the power supply rail.

Field effect diode structures utilize a junction structure that has an L-shape in cross-section (a fin extending from a planar portion). An anode is positioned at the top surface of the fin, and a cathode is positioned at the end surface of the planar portion. The perpendicularity of the fin and the planar portion cause the anode and cathode to be perpendicular to one another. A first gate insulator contacts the fin between the top surface and the planar portion. A first gate conductor contacts the first gate insulator, and the first gate insulator is between the first gate conductor and the surface of the fin. Additionally, a second gate insulator contacts the planar portion between the end surface and the fin. A second gate conductor contacts the second gate insulator, and the second gate insulator is between the second gate conductor and the surface of the planar portion.

Apparatus and methods for electrical overstress (EOS) protection circuits are provided herein. In certain configurations, an EOS protection circuit includes an overstress sensing circuit electrically connected between a pad and a first supply node, an impedance element electrically connected between the pad and a signal node, a controllable clamp electrically connected between the signal node and the first supply node and selectively activatable by the overstress sensing circuit, and an overshoot limiting circuit electrically connected between the signal node and a second supply node. The overstress sensing circuit activates the controllable clamp when an EOS event is detected at the pad. Thus, the EOS protection circuit is arranged to divert charge associated with the EOS event away from the signal node to provide EOS protection.

Circuit configurations and related methods are provided that may be implemented using insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device circuitry to protect at risk circuitry (e.g., such as high voltage output buffer circuitry or any other circuitry subject to undesirable ESD events) from damage due to ESD events that may occur during system assembly. The magnitude of the trigger voltage V.sub.T1 threshold for an IGBT ESD protection device may be dynamically controlled between at least two different values so that trigger voltage V.sub.T1 threshold for an IGBT ESD protection device may be selectively reduced when needed to better enable ESD operation.

A semiconductor integrated circuit device has a first N-channel type high withstanding-voltage MOS transistor and a second N-channel type high withstanding-voltage MOS transistor formed on an N-type semiconductor substrate. The first N-channel type high withstanding-voltage transistor includes a third N-type low-concentration impurity region containing arsenic having a depth smaller than a P-type well region in a drain region within the P-type well region, and the second N-channel type high withstanding-voltage MOS transistor includes a fourth N-type low-concentration impurity region that is adjacent to the P-type well region and has a bottom surface in contact with the N-type semiconductor substrate. In this manner, the high withstanding-voltage NMOS transistors are capable of operating at 30 V or higher and are integrated on the N-type semiconductor substrate.

Components can be damaged if they are exposed to excess voltages. A device is disclosed herein which can be placed in series with a component and a node that may be exposed to high voltages. If the voltage becomes too high, the device can autonomously switch into a relatively high impedance state, thereby protecting the other components.

A display device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of scanning lines (10a) and a plurality of signal lines (11a); a plurality of pixel thin-film transistors; a common scanning interconnect (10b); and a plurality of protective diodes (6) (protective elements). At least a part of a plurality of connecting interconnects that electrically connect the common scanning interconnect with the plurality of protective diodes are constituted by connecting interconnects (11e) on the same layer as the signal lines. The surface area of overlapping parts between a plurality of semiconductor layers of thin-film transistors and the scanning lines and the surface area overlapping parts between the plurality of semiconductor layers and the common scanning interconnect are substantially equal.

A semiconductor structure comprises a well, a first lightly doped region, a second lightly doped region, a first heavily doped region, a second heavily doped region and a gate. The first lightly doped region is disposed in the well. The second lightly doped region is disposed in the well and separated from the first lightly doped region. The first heavily doped region is disposed in the first lightly doped region. The second heavily doped region is partially disposed in the second lightly doped region. The second heavily doped region has a surface contacting the well. The gate is disposed on the well between the first heavily doped region and the second heavily doped region. The well has a first doping type. The first lightly doped region, the second lightly doped region, the first heavily doped region and the second heavily doped region have a second doping type.