A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a doped isolation barrier disposed in the semiconductor substrate and defining a core device area within the doped isolation barrier, an isolation contact region disposed in the semiconductor substrate outside of the core device area, and a body region disposed in the semiconductor substrate within the core device area, and in which a channel is formed during operation. The body region is electrically tied to the isolation contact region. The body region and the doped isolation barrier have a common conductivity type. The body region is electrically isolated from the doped isolation barrier within the core device area. The doped isolation barrier and the isolation contact region are not electrically tied to one another such that the doped isolation barrier is biased at a different voltage level than the isolation contact region.

A semiconductor device and a method of making a semiconductor device. The device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, a layer of doped silicon located on the substrate, a trench extending into the layer of silicon, and a gate electrode and gate dielectric located in the trench. The device also includes a drain region, a body region having a second conductivity type located adjacent the trench and above the drain region, and a source region having the first conductivity type located adjacent the trench and above the body region. The layer of doped silicon in a region located beneath the body region includes donor ions and acceptor ions forming a net doping concentration within said region by compensation. The net doping concentration of the layer of doped silicon as a function of depth has a minimum in a region located immediately beneath the body region.

Some embodiments include integrated circuits having first and second transistors. The first transistor is wider than the second transistor. The first and second transistors have first and second active regions, respectively. Dielectric features are associated with the first active region and break up the first active region. The second active region is not broken up to the same extent as the first active region. Some embodiments include methods of forming transistors. Active areas of first and second transistors are formed. The active area of the first transistor is wider than the active area of the second transistor. Dielectric features are formed in the active area of the first transistor. The active area of the first transistor is broken up to a different extent than the active area of the second transistor. The active areas of the first and second transistors are simultaneously doped.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device has a first region formed of semiconductor and a second region formed of semiconductor which borders the first region. An electrode is formed to be in ohmic-connection with the first region. A third region is formed to sandwich the first region. A first potential difference is produced between the first and the second regions in a thermal equilibrium state, according to a second potential difference between the third region and the first region.

A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having a cell portion and an outer peripheral portion disposed around the cell portion, formed with a gate trench at a surface side of the cell portion, and a gate electrode buried in the gate trench via a gate insulating film, forming a channel at a portion lateral to the gate trench at ON-time, the outer peripheral portion has a semiconductor surface disposed at a depth position equal to or deeper than a depth of the gate trench, and the semiconductor device further includes a voltage resistant structure having a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor surface of the outer peripheral portion.

A power integrated circuit includes a double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor formed in a first portion of the semiconductor layer with a channel being formed in a first body region. The power integrated circuit includes a first deep diffusion region formed in the first deep well under the first body region and in electrical contact with the first body region and a second deep diffusion region formed in the first deep well under the drain drift region and in electrical contact with the first body region. The first deep diffusion region and the second deep diffusion region together form a reduced surface field (RESURF) structure in the LDMOS transistor.

An improvement is achieved in the performance of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a coupling transistor made of a p-channel MOSFET and formed in an n.sup.-type semiconductor region over a base made of a p-type semiconductor. The coupling transistor has a resurf layer as a p-type semiconductor region and couples a lower-voltage circuit region to a higher-voltage circuit region to which a power supply potential higher than the power supply potential supplied to the lower-voltage circuit region is supplied. The semiconductor device has a p-type semiconductor region formed in the portion of the n.sup.-type semiconductor region which surrounds the coupling transistor in plan view.

An electronic device can include a semiconductor layer having a primary surface, a drift region adjacent to the primary surface, a drain region adjacent to the drift region and extending deeper into the semiconductor layer as compared to the drift region, a resurf region spaced apart from the primary surface, an insulating layer overlying the drain region, and a contact extending through the insulating layer to the drain region. In an embodiment, the drain region can include a sinker region that allows a bulk breakdown to the resurf region to occur during an overvoltage event where the bulk breakdown occurs outside of the drift region, and in a particular embodiment, away from a shallow trench isolation structure or other sensitive structure.

Disclosed are a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method therefor. The semiconductor structure includes an N-type substrate provided with a plurality of first grooves on a first surface; and an epitaxial layer located on the first surface, where the epitaxial layer includes an N-type drift region, a P-type well region, an N-type source region and a JFET region, where a surface of a side, away from the N-type substrate, of the epitaxial layer is provided with a plurality of second grooves, the second grooves are in one-to-one correspondence with the first grooves, and extension directions of the second grooves and the first grooves are parallel to a length direction of a channel of the semiconductor structure. A channel width may be effectively increased, thereby increasing a channel conduction area and reducing channel resistance and interface state density; and the epitaxial layer may be prevented from being damaged by etching.

An apparatus includes a drain and a source on opposing sides of an epitaxial layer, a plurality of gates formed in the epitaxial layer, a source contact connected to the source, a gate contact connected to the plurality of gates, a gate-source electrostatic discharge (ESD) diode connected between the gate contact and the source contact, and a breakdown voltage enhancement and leakage prevention structure formed underneath the gate-source ESD diode structure.