An IC includes logic cells, selected from a standard cell library, and fill cells, configured for compatibility with the standard logic cells. The fill cells contain structures configured to obtain in-line data via non-contact electrical measurements (NCEM). The IC includes such NCEM-enabled fill cells configured to enable detection and/or measurement of a variety of open-circuit and short-circuit failure modes, including at least one via-open-related failure mode, one AACNT-short-related failure mode, one TS-short-related failure mode, and one metal-short-related failure mode.

A robust electrostatic (ESD) protection device is provided. In one example, the ESD protection device is configured to accommodate three nodes. When used with a differential signal device, the first and second nodes may be coupled with the differential signal device's BP and BM signal lines, respectively, and the third node may be coupled to a voltage source. This allows for a single ESD protection device to be used to protect the signal lines of the differential signal device, thus providing significant substrate area savings as compared to the conventional means of using three dual-node ESD protection devices to accomplish substantially the same protection mechanism. Moreover, the ESD protection device may be structurally designed to handle high voltage ESD events, as required by the FlexRay standard.

A trench comprising a portion of a substrate is formed. A nucleation layer is deposited on the portion of the substrate within the trench. A III-N material layer is deposited on the nucleation layer. The III-N material layer is laterally grown over the trench. A device layer is deposited on the laterally grown III-N material layer. A low defect density region is obtained on the laterally grown material and is used for electronic device fabrication of III-N materials on Si substrates.

A semiconductor device, in which, in a density distribution of first conductivity type impurities in the first conductivity type region measured along a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate, a local maximum value N1, a local minimum value N2, a local maximum value N3, and a density N4 are formed in this order from front surface side, a relationship of N1>N3>N2>N4 is satisfied, a relationship of N3/10>N2 is satisfied, and a distance a from the surface to the depth having the local maximum value N1 is larger than twice a distance b from the depth having the local maximum value N1 to the depth having the local minimum N2.

A dual-well metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device includes: a semiconductor substrate, an active layer, a first conductive type well, a first conductive type body region, a second conductive type well, a gate, a second conductive type lightly doped diffusion (LDD) region, a second conductive type source, a second conductive type connection region, and a second conductive type drain. The second conductive type well is connected to the first conductive type well in a lateral direction, and a PN junction is formed therebetween right below the gate. The second conductive type connection region is formed right below a spacer of the gate, and is connected to the second conductive type source in a lateral direction to avoid OFF-channel. The second conductive type connection region is formed by a tilt-angle ion implantation process step through the spacer.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, an insulating region, and a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type. The first semiconductor region is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and is in contact with the first electrode. The second semiconductor region is provided between the first semiconductor region and the second electrode. The second semiconductor region is in contact with the second electrode. The insulating region extends in a direction from the second electrode toward the first semiconductor region. The insulating region is in contact with the second electrode. The third semiconductor region is provided between the second semiconductor region and the insulating region.

An IC includes logic cells, selected from a standard cell library, and fill cells, configured for compatibility with the standard logic cells. The fill cells contain structures configured to obtain in-line data via non-contact electrical measurements (NCEM). The IC includes such NCEM-enabled fill cells configured to enable detection and/or measurement of a variety of open-circuit and short-circuit failure modes, including at least one via-open-related failure mode, one GATE-short-related failure mode, one GATECNT-short-related failure mode, and one TS-short-related failure mode.

An IC includes logic cells, selected from a standard cell library, and fill cells, configured for compatibility with the standard logic cells. The fill cells contain structures configured to obtain in-line data via non-contact electrical measurements (NCEM). The IC includes such NCEM-enabled fill cells configured to enable detection and/or measurement of a variety of open-circuit and short-circuit failure modes, including at least one via-open-related failure mode, one GATE-short-related failure mode, one GATECNT-short-related failure mode, and one AA-short-related failure mode.

A CMOS device comprises a substrate with a plurality of regions, the regions including an N-type region and a P-type region which meet each other in a PN-boundary, two or more P-type active regions embedded in the N-type region, and two or more N-type active regions embedded in the P-type region. The PN-boundary or a section of the PN-boundary is a chain of line segments. Any two adjoining line segments of the chain are angled relative to each other at their connecting point. The CMOS device can be designed using abutting standard cells. For each of two or more operating points, rise delays and fall delays associated with one or more clock cells are estimated. If the estimated rise delays and fall delays satisfy a given set of constraints, the layout of the CMOS device is accepted. Otherwise the layout is updated and a new analysis round is performed.

A semiconductor device includes a setting circuit and a reset circuit. The setting circuit includes a latch circuit having first and second inverters driven by a first power voltage whose level is fixed and a first transistor which is switched between an ON state and an OFF state on the basis of a level of a second power voltage whose level varies depending on a surrounding environment, and sets data corresponding to a reference voltage to the latch circuit in response to the first transistor being switched to the ON state. The reset circuit includes an N-type second transistor connected to an output of the first inverter and an input of the second inverter. The second transistor sets data corresponding to the reference voltage to the latch circuit in response to the second voltage being equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage value.