One illustrative method disclosed includes, among other things, forming a vertically oriented semiconductor structure above a doped well region defined in a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor structure comprising a lower source/drain region and an upper source/drain region, wherein the lower source/drain region physically contacts the upper surface of the substrate, forming a counter-doped isolation region in the substrate, forming a metal silicide region in the substrate above the counter-doped isolation region, wherein the metal silicide region is in physical contact with the lower source/drain region, and forming a lower source/drain contact structure that is conductively coupled to the metal silicide region.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a control electrode provided on a first surface side of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first area on the first surface side and two second areas on the first surface side of the first area. The two second areas are arranged along the first surface. The control electrode provided above a portion of the first area between the two second areas. The first area includes a main portion and a peripheral edge portion extending outward from the main portion along the first surface. A depth of the peripheral edge portion from the first surface is shallower than a depth of the main portion from the first surface; and the peripheral edge portion has a concentration of second conductivity type impurities lower than a concentration of the second conductivity type impurities at a surface of the main portion.

A semiconductor device and methods for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first doped region and a second, oppositely doped, region both formed in a substrate, a first gate formed overlying a portion of the first doped region and a portion of the second doped region, two or more second gates formed over the substrate overlying a different portion of the second doped region, one or more third doped regions in the second doped region disposed only between the two or more second gates such that the third doped region and the second doped region having opposite conductivity types, a source region in the first doped region, and a drain region in the second doped region disposed across the second gates from the first gate.

A diode includes: a p-type semiconductor substrate; an n-type semiconductor layer; a p-type isolation region formed to surround a predetermined region of the n-type semiconductor layer on the p-type semiconductor substrate; an n-type buried layer formed across the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer within the predetermined region; an n-type collector wall formed in the n-type semiconductor layer; a p-type anode region and a plurality of n-type cathode regions formed in a diode formation region; and a p-type guard ring formed to surround the diode formation region in a region between the diode formation region of the surface layer of the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type isolation region. A transistor for reducing a leakage current is formed by the p-type anode region, the p-type guard ring, and an n-type semiconductor between the p-type anode region and the p-type guard ring.

A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes a first layer, a second layer provided on the first layer, the second layer forming a two-dimensional electron gas in the first layer, a source electrode provided on the second layer, a drain electrode provided on the second layer, a gate electrode provided between the source electrode and the drain electrode on the second layer, and a first insulating layer provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode on the second layer, the first insulating layer being a first oxide of at least one first element selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, Ti, Al, La, Y, and Sc, the first insulating layer containing 510.sup.19 cm.sup.3 or more of at least one second element selected from the group consisting of F, H, D, V, Nb, and Ta.

A semiconductor device has a reduced an on-voltage and uses a gate resistance to improve the trade-off relationship between turn-on loss Eon and dV/dt, and turn-on dV/dt controllability. A floating p.sup.+-type region is provided in an n.sup.-type drift layer so as to be spaced from a p-type base region configuring a MOS gate structure. An emitter electrode and the floating p.sup.+-type region are electrically connected by an n.sup.+-type region provided in the surface layer of a substrate front surface. The n.sup.+-type region is covered with a second insulating film which film is covered with an emitter electrode. By an electric field being generated in the n.sup.+-type region by the emitter electrode provided on the top of the n.sup.+-type region via the second interlayer insulating film, the n.sup.+-type region forms a current path which causes holes accumulated in the floating p.sup.+-type region to flow to the emitter electrode when turning on.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a bulk semiconductor substrate that includes a first conductivity type floating buried doped region bounded above by a second conductivity type doped region and bounded below by another second conductivity semiconductor region. Dielectric isolation regions extend through the second conductivity doped region and the first conductivity floating buried doped region into the semiconductor region. Functional devices are disposed within the second conductivity type doped region. The first conductivity type floating buried doped region is configured as a self-biased region that laterally extends between adjacent dielectric isolation regions.

A die stack assembly includes first and second power semiconductor device dice. The first die has a P type peripheral edge separation structure that extends from the top planar semiconductor surface of the first die all the way to the bottom planar semiconductor surface of the die, and that is doped at least in part with aluminum. The backside of the first die is mounted to the backside of the second die. A metal feature that is not covered with passivation, and that can serve as a bonding pad, is disposed on part of the peripheral edge separation structure. A metal member (for example, a bond wire or metal clip) contacts the metal feature such that an electrical connection is established from the metal member, through the metal feature, through the peripheral edge separation structure of the first die, and to an electrode of the second die.

An integrated circuit device having a body bias voltage mechanism. The integrated circuit comprises a resistive structure disposed therein for selectively coupling either a body bias voltage or a power supply voltage to biasing wells. A first pad for coupling with a first externally disposed pin can optionally be provided. The first pad is for receiving an externally applied body bias voltage. Circuitry for producing a body bias voltage can be coupled to the first pad for coupling a body bias voltage to a plurality of biasing wells disposed on the integrated circuit device. If a body bias voltage is not provided, the resistive structure automatically couples a power supply voltage to the biasing wells. The power supply voltage may be obtained internally to the integrated circuit.

This invention provides a composite device and a switching power supply. The composite device integrates therein a first enhancement-mode MOS device and a depletion-mode MOS device, and comprises: an epitaxial region of a first doping type; a first well region and a second well region formed in parallel on the front side of the epitaxial region; a first doped region of the first doping type formed within the first well region; a gate of the first enhancement-mode MOS device; a second doped region of the first doping type formed within the second well region; a channel region of the first doping type, wherein the channel region extends from a boundary of the second well region to a boundary of the second doped region; and a gate of the depletion-mode MOS device. The switching power supply includes the composite device above. This invention can decrease the process complexity, reduce the chip area and cost, and may be applicable to high power scenarios.