The monitoring device is configured for monitoring a converter comprising a first and a second input terminals, two output terminals, a first filter branch connected between the input terminals, a second filter branch connected in parallel with the first branch, two switching branches connected in parallel with the second branch, each switching branch including two switching half-branches connected in series and in an intermediate point forming an output terminal. The monitoring device comprises a detection impedance configured for being connected between the first and the second branches, and a detection module configured for comparing the voltage across the detection impedance with a predefined threshold, then for generating a detection signal as soon as said voltage is greater than said threshold.

A transient voltage suppressor is disclosed that includes an electrode, a substrate disposed on the electrode, the substrate having a first doping, an epitaxial layer disposed on the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a second doping that is different from the first doping, a channel formed in the epitaxial layer having a width W, a length L and a plurality of curved regions, the channel forming a plurality of adjacent sections, the channel having a third doping that is different from the first doping and the second doping and a metal layer formed on top of the channel and contained within the width W of the channel.

A lateral semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first insulator layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a semiconductor layer formed on the first insulator layer opposite to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer includes a first region of a first conductivity type, a second region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, and an intermediate region interposed between the first region and the second region and defining a first lateral distance between the first region and the second region. The intermediate region has a lower doping concentration than the first region and the second region. A doping concentration of the first region at an interface to the intermediate region and a doping concentration of the second region at an interface to the intermediate region both exceed 110.sup.18 cm.sup.3. The first lateral distance is at most 800 nm.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a Zener diode including a Zener diode junction formed in a semiconductor substrate along a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate, and positioned between a an anode region having a first conductivity type and a cathode region having a second conductivity type, the cathode region extending from the surface of the substrate. A first conducting region is configured to generate a first electric field perpendicular to the plane of the Zener diode junction upon application of a first voltage to the first conducting region, and a second conducting region is configured to generate a second electric field along the plane of the Zener diode junction upon application of a second voltage to the second conducting region.

In accordance with an embodiment, semiconductor component includes a compound semiconductor material based semiconductor device coupled to a silicon based semiconductor device and a protection element, wherein the silicon based semiconductor device is a transistor. The protection element is coupled in parallel across the silicon based semiconductor device and may be a resistor, a diode, or a transistor. In accordance with another embodiment, the silicon based semiconductor device is a diode. The compound semiconductor material may be shorted to a source of potential such as, for example, ground, with a shorting element.

A semiconductor device includes a Zener diode having an anode layer and a cathode layer. The Zener diode provides an electrostatic discharge (ESD) path for ESD signals. At least two channel diodes are coupled to the ESD path of the Zener diode. Each of the channel diodes includes a common cathode layer and a separate anode region. The common cathode layer of the channel diodes is disposed on the cathode layer of the Zener diode. At least two channels are provided where each channel is coupled to one of the separate anode regions to provide an electrical connection for protected signal paths to the ESD path.

A diode includes a semiconductor body, a first emitter region of a first conductivity type, a second emitter region of a second conductivity type, a base region arranged between the first and second emitter regions and having a lower doping concentration than the first and second emitter regions, a first emitter electrode electrically coupled to the first emitter region, a second emitter electrode in electrical contact with the second emitter region, a control electrode arrangement comprising a first control electrode section and a first dielectric layer arranged between the first control electrode section and the semiconductor body, and at least one pn junction extending to the first dielectric layer, or arranged distant to the first dielectric layer by less than 250 nm. The breakdown voltage of the diode is adjusted by applying a control potential to the first control electrode section.

A diode includes a semiconductor substrate having a surface; a first contact region disposed at the surface of the semiconductor substrate and having a first conductivity type; and a second contact region disposed at the surface, laterally spaced from the first contact region, and having a second conductivity type. The diode also includes a buried region disposed in the semiconductor substrate vertically adjacent to the first contact region, having the second conductivity type, and electrically connected with the second contact region; and an isolation region disposed at the surface between the first and second contact regions. The diode also includes a separation region disposed at the surface between the first contact region and the isolation region, the separation region formed from a portion of a first well region disposed in the semiconductor substrate that extends to the surface.

A transient voltage suppressor is disclosed that includes an electrode, a substrate disposed on the electrode, the substrate having a first doping, an epitaxial layer disposed on the substrate, the epitaxial layer having a second doping that is different from the first doping, a channel formed in the epitaxial layer having a width W, a length L and a plurality of curved regions, the channel forming a plurality of adjacent sections, the channel having a third doping that is different from the first doping and the second doping and a metal layer formed on top of the channel and contained within the width W of the channel.