According to one embodiment, the insulating film is provided between the anode region and the cathode region in the surface of the second semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is provided inside the second semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region covers a corner of the insulating film on the anode region side. The first electrode contacts the anode region and the third semiconductor region. The second electrode contacts the cathode region. The third electrode is provided on the insulating film and positioned on a p-n junction between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region.

In the disclosure, an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is coupled between a first power rail and a second power rail to discharge any ESD stress. The ESD protection circuit includes a detection circuit, a triggering circuit, and a dual silicon controlled rectifier (DSCR) device. When an ESD stresses is being applied to the first or second power rail, the detection circuit may first detect the ESD stresses and output a detection signal to the triggering circuit. The triggering circuit generates a triggering signal based on the detection signal and the polarity of the ESD stress. Then, the DSCR device is symmetrically triggered based on the triggering signal received at a common node between at least two transistors of the same type. The exemplary ESD protection circuit may be implemented in nanoscale manufactured integrated circuit and achieve good ESD robustness while maintaining low standby leakage current and relatively small silicon footprint.

Switching loss is reduced. A first surface of a semiconductor substrate has a portion included in an IGBT region and a portion included in a diode region. Trenches formed in the first surface include a gate trench and a boundary trench disposed between the gate trench and the diode region. A fourth layer of the semiconductor substrate is provided on the first surface and has a portion included in the diode region. The fourth layer includes a trench-covering well region that covers the deepest part of the boundary trench, a plurality of isolated well regions, and a diffusion region that connects the trench-covering well region and the isolated well regions. The diffusion region has a lower impurity concentration than that of the isolated well regions. A first electrode is in contact with the isolated well regions and away from the diffusion region.

A transistor element includes: a first semiconductor substrate on which a first transistor cell region is formed; a first gate electrode pad formed on the first semiconductor substrate and connected to a gate in the first transistor cell region; a relay electrode pad formed on the first semiconductor substrate; and a gate resistance formed on the first semiconductor substrate and connected between the first gate electrode pad and the relay electrode pad.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is provided in circuits which use of a tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) or an impact ionization MOSFET (IMOS). These circuits are supported in silicon on insulator (SOI) and bulk substrate configurations to function as protection diodes, supply clamps, failsafe circuits and cutter cells. Implementations with parasitic bipolar devices provide additional parallel discharge paths.

A power semiconductor diode includes: a semiconductor body with a drift region of a first conductivity type; a first load terminal at a first side of the semiconductor body coupled to an anode region of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor body and coupled to the drift region; a second load terminal at a second side of the semiconductor body coupled to both cathode regions of the first conductivity type and short regions of the second conductivity type of a doped region in the semiconductor body and coupled to the drift region; and a resistive element external of the semiconductor body. The diode conducts a load current between the load terminals, a first path of which crosses the anode region, drift region and cathode regions and a second path of which crosses the anode region, drift region and short regions. The resistive element exhibits a resistance having a positive-temperature-coefficient.

A semiconductor device includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer including an active region in which a transistor having impurity regions is formed and a marginal region surrounding the active region, a second-conductivity-type channel layer formed between the active region and the marginal region and forming a front surface of the semiconductor layer, at least one gate trench formed in the active region to extend from the front surface of the semiconductor layer through the channel layer, a gate insulation film formed on an inner surface of the gate trench, a gate electrode formed inside the gate insulation film in the gate trench, and at least one isolation trench arranged between the active region and the marginal region to surround the active region and extending from the front surface of the semiconductor layer through the channel layer, the isolation trench having a depth equal to that of the gate trench.

To improve a tradeoff between ON voltage and ON/OFF loss while maintaining short-circuit tolerance, provided is a semiconductor device including an IGBT element; a super junction transistor element connected in parallel with the IGBT element; and a limiting section that limits a voltage applied to a gate terminal of the IGBT element more than a voltage applied to a gate terminal of the super junction transistor element.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductive type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductive type, a first electrode, a third semiconductor region of the second conductive type, a fourth semiconductor region of the first conductive type, and a conductive portion. The second semiconductor region is provided on the first semiconductor region. The first electrode is provided on the second semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is provided on the first electrode. The fourth semiconductor region is provided on the third semiconductor region. The conductive portion is surrounded by the third semiconductor region and an intervening insulation portion and is electrically connected to the first electrode.

Described herein are semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. In some aspects, methods of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a gate stack having a self-aligning cap and a gate metal on a substrate, depositing a resist mask onto the semiconductor device, and patterning the resist mask such that the gate stack is exposed. Additionally, methods include removing the self-aligning cap and the gate metal from the exposed gate stack, depositing a resistor metal on the semiconductor device such that a metal resistor is formed within the exposed gate stack, and forming a bar contact and contact via above the metal resistor.