A Schottky device includes a barrier height adjustment layer in a portion of a semiconductor material. In accordance with an embodiment, the Schottky device is formed from a semiconductor material of a first conductivity type which has a barrier height adjustment layer of a second conductivity type that extends from a first major surface of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material a distance that is less than a zero bias depletion boundary. A Schottky contact is formed in contact with the doped layer.

This application is directed to a low cost IC solution that provides Super CMOS microelectronics macros. Hereinafter, SCMOS refers to Super CMOS and Schottky CMOS. SCMOS device solutions includes a niche circuit element, such as complementary low threshold Schottky barrier diode pairs (SBD) made by selected metal barrier contacts (Co, Ti, Ni or other metal atoms or compounds) to P- and N-Si beds of the CMOS transistors. A DTL like new circuit topology and designed wide contents of broad product libraries, which used the integrated SBD and transistors (BJT, CMOS, and Flash versions) as basic components. The macros are composed of diodes that are selectively attached to the diffusion bed of the transistors, configuring them to form (i) generic logic gates, (ii) functional blocks of microprocessors and microcontrollers such as but not limited to data paths, multipliers, muliplier-accumaltors, (ii) memory cells and control circuits of various types (SRAM's with single or multiple read/write port(s), binary and ternary CAM's), (iii) multiplexers, crossbar switches, switch matrices in network processors, graphics processors and other processors to implement a variety of communication protocols and algorithms of data processing engines for (iv) Analytics, (v) block-chain and encryption-based security engines (vi) Artificial Neural Networks with specific circuits to emulate or to implement a self-learning data processor similar to or derived from the neurons and synapses of human or animal brains, (vii) analog circuits and functional blocks from simple to the complicated including but not limited to power conversion, control and management either based on charge pumps or inductors, sensor signal amplifiers and conditioners, interface drivers, wireline data transceivers, oscillators and clock synthesizers with phase and/or delay locked loops, temperature monitors and controllers; all the above are built from discrete components to all grades of VLSI chips. Solar photovoltaic electricity conversion, bio-lab-on-a-chip, hyperspectral imaging (capture/sensing and processing), wireless communication with various transceiver and/or transponder circuits for ranges of frequency that extend beyond a few 100 MHz, up to multi-THz, ambient energy harvesting either mechanical vibrations or antenna-based electromagnetic are newly extended or nacent fields of the SCMOS IC applications.

The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a first conductivity type semiconductor layer made of a wide bandgap semiconductor and a Schottky electrode formed to come into contact with a surface of the semiconductor layer, and has a threshold voltage V.sub.th of 0.3 V to 0.7 V and a leakage current J.sub.r of 110.sup.9 A/cm.sup.2 to 110.sup.4 A/cm.sup.2 in a rated voltage V.sub.R.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming field electrode structures extending in a direction vertical to a first surface in a semiconductor body; forming cell mesas from portions of the semiconductor body between the field electrode structures, including body zones forming first pn junctions with a drift zone; forming gate structures between the field electrode structures and configured to control a current flow through the body zones; and forming auxiliary diode structures with a forward voltage lower than the first pn junctions and electrically connected in parallel with the first pn junctions, wherein semiconducting portions of the auxiliary diode structures are formed in the cell mesas.

The present application teaches, among other innovations, methods and circuits for operating a B-TRAN (double-base bidirectional bipolar junction transistor). A base drive circuit is described which provides high-impedance drive to the base contact region on whichever side of the device is operating as the collector (at a given moment). (The B-TRAN, unlike other bipolar junction transistors, is controlled by applied voltage rather than applied current.) The preferred implementation of the drive circuit is operated by control signals to provide diode-mode turn-on and pre-turnoff operation, as well as a hard ON state with a low voltage drop (the transistor-ON state). In some but not necessarily all preferred embodiments, an adjustable low voltage for the gate drive circuit is provided by a self-synchronizing rectifier circuit. Also, in some but not necessarily all preferred embodiments, the base drive voltage used to drive the c-base region (on the collector side) is varied while the base current at that terminal is monitored, so that no more base current than necessary is applied. This solves the difficult challenge of optimizing base drive in a B-TRAN.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a first well region configured to be an anode of the semiconductor device, a first doped region configured to be a cathode of the semiconductor device, a second doped region configured to be another cathode of the semiconductor device, and a conductive region. The first well region is disposed between the first doped region and the second doped region, and is configured for electrical connection of the conductive region.

The present disclosure relates to a Schottky contact for a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has a body formed from one or more epitaxial layers, which reside over a substrate. The Schottky contact may include a Schottky layer, a first diffusion barrier layer, and a third layer. The Schottky layer is formed of a first metal and is provided over at least a portion of a first surface of the body. The first diffusion barrier layer is formed of a silicide of the first metal and is provided over the Schottky layer. The third layer is formed of a second metal and is provided over the first diffusion barrier layer. In one embodiment, the first metal is nickel, and as such, the silicide is nickel silicide. Various other layers may be provided between or above the Schottky layer, the first diffusion barrier layer, and the third layer.

A diode device including a III-N compound layer is provided. The III-N compound layer has a channel region therein. A cathode region is located on the III-N compound layer. A first anode region is located on the III-N compound layer and extends into the III-N compound layer. The bottom of the first anode region is under the channel region. A second anode region is located on the III-N compound layer between the cathode region and the first anode region, and extends into the III-N compound material layer. The second anode region includes a high-energy barrier region. The high-energy barrier region adjoins a sidewall of the first anode region. A method for manufacturing a diode device is also provided.

Edge termination structures for semiconductor devices are provided including a plurality of spaced apart concentric floating guard rings in a semiconductor layer that at least partially surround a semiconductor junction. The spaced apart concentric floating guard rings have a highly doped portion and a lightly doped portion. Related methods of fabricating devices are also provided herein.

A semiconductor device comprises: a semiconductor device active region; an electrode shape controlling layer disposed on the semiconductor device active region, the electrode shape controlling layer containing aluminum, the content of aluminum being changed in a direction from bottom to up from the semiconductor device active region, an electrode region being disposed on the electrode shape controlling layer, a groove extended toward the semiconductor device active region and penetrating through the electrode shape controlling layer longitudinally being disposed in the electrode region, all or part of a side surface of the groove having a shape corresponding to the content of aluminum in the electrode shape controlling layer; and an electrode disposed in the groove in the electrode region entirely or partially, the electrode having a shape matching with the shape of the groove, a bottom portion of the electrode being contacted with the semiconductor device active region.