Improved processes for manufacturing wafers, chips, or dies utilize in-line data obtained from non-contact electrical measurements (NCEM) of fill cells that contain structures configured to target/expose a variety of open-circuit, short-circuit, leakage, or excessive resistance failure modes, including GATE-snake-open and/or GATE-snake-resistance failure modes. Such processes may involve evaluating Designs of Experiments (DOEs), comprised of multiple NCEM-enabled fill cells, in at least two variants, all targeted to the same failure mode(s).

In a semiconductor device including a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer, and a gate electrode layer on side surfaces of which sidewall insulating layers are provided are stacked in this order, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and the sidewall insulating layers. In a process for manufacturing the semiconductor device, a conductive layer and an interlayer insulating layer are stacked to cover the oxide semiconductor layer, the sidewall insulating layers, and the gate electrode layer. Then, parts of the interlayer insulating layer and the conductive layer over the gate electrode layer are removed by a chemical mechanical polishing method, so that a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are formed. Before formation of the gate insulating layer, cleaning treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor layer.

An object is to provide a technique that suppresses decrease in the breakdown voltage of a protective element. There is provided a semiconductor device that comprises a vertical MOS transistor and a protective element. A first nitride semiconductor layer has a convex that is protruded toward a second nitride semiconductor layer. The convex has a top face placed at a position to overlap with at least part of an ohmic electrode of a second conductive type when viewed from a stacking direction of a stacked body. The thickness of the second nitride semiconductor layer in a portion which a bottom face of a trench is in contact with is greater than the thickness of the second nitride semiconductor layer in a portion which the top face of the convex is in contact with.

An electrostatic discharge protection device including a silicon controlled rectifier. In one example, the silicon controlled rectifier includes a first n-type region located in a semiconductor substrate. The silicon controlled rectifier also includes a first p-type region located adjacent the first n-type region in the semiconductor substrate. The silicon controlled rectifier further includes an n-type contact region and a p-type contact region located in the first n-type region. The silicon controlled rectifier also includes an n-type contact region and a p-type contact region located in the first p-type region. The silicon controlled rectifier further includes a blocking region having a higher resistivity than the first p-type region. The blocking region is located between the n-type contact region and the p-type contact region in the first p-type region for reducing a trigger voltage of the silicon controlled rectifier.

According to various embodiments, a method may include: structuring a semiconductor region to form a structured surface of the semiconductor region; disposing a dopant in the semiconductor region; and activating the dopant at least partially by irradiating the structured surface at least partially with electromagnetic radiation having at least one discrete wavelength to heat the semiconductor region at least partially.

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.

According to various embodiments, a method may include: structuring a semiconductor region to form a structured surface of the semiconductor region; disposing a dopant in the semiconductor region; and activating the dopant at least partially by irradiating the structured surface at least partially with electromagnetic radiation having at least one discrete wavelength to heat the semiconductor region at least partially.

An integrated circuit device includes a pad layer having a body portion with a first doping type laterally adjacent to a drift region portion with a second doping type, a trench formed in the pad layer, the trench extending through an interface of the body portion and the drift region portion, a gate formed in the trench and over a top surface of the pad layer along the interface of the body portion and the drift region portion, an oxide formed in the trench on opposing sides of the gate, and a field plate embedded in the oxide on each of the opposing sides of the gate.

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.

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier die including a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) and a p-type field effect transistor (PFET), the PFET including a semiconductor segment that includes substantially the same material as a layer of a collector of the HBT, the semiconductor segment corresponding to a channel of the PFET; a load line electrically connected to an output of the power amplifier and configured to provide impedance matching at a fundamental frequency of the RF signal; and a harmonic termination circuit electrically connected to the output of the power amplifier and configured to terminate at a phase corresponding to a harmonic frequency of the RF signal. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.