All of four of built-in gate resistance trenches function as practical built-in gate resistance trenches. A first end portion of each of four of the built-in gate resistance trenches is electrically connected to a wiring side contact region of a gate wiring via a wiring contact. A second end portion of each of four of the built-in gate resistance trenches is electrically connected to a pad side contact region of a gate pad via a pad contact. In each of four of the built-in gate resistance trenches, a distance between the wiring contact and the pad contact is defined as an inter-contact distance.

Solder bumps are placed in direct contact with the silicon substrate of an amplifier integrated circuit having a flip chip configuration. A plurality of amplifier transistor arrays generate waste heat that promotes thermal run away of the amplifier if not directed out of the integrated circuit. The waste heat flows through the thermally conductive silicon substrate and out the solder bump to a heat-sinking plane of an interposer connected to the amplifier integrated circuit via the solder bumps.

Current sharing among bidirectional double-base bipolar junction transistors. One example is a method comprising: conducting current through a first bidirectional double-base bipolar junction transistor (first B-TRAN); conducting current through a second B-TRAN the second B-TRAN coupled in parallel with the first B-TRAN; measuring a value indicative of conduction of the first B-TRAN, and measuring a value indicative of conduction of the second B-TRAN; and adjusting a current flow through the first B-TRAN, the adjusting responsive to the value indicative of conduction of the first B-TRAN being different than the value indicative of conduction of the second B-TRAN.

A power amplifier apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of first transistors on the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of second transistors, at least one collector terminal electrically connected to collectors of the plurality of first transistors, a first inductor having a first end electrically connected to the collector terminal and a second end electrically connected to a power supply potential, at least one emitter terminal electrically connected to emitters of the plurality of second transistors and adjacent to the collector terminal in a second direction, a second inductor having a first end electrically connected to the emitter terminal and a second end electrically connected to a reference potential, and at least one capacitor having a first end electrically connected to the collectors of the plurality of first transistors and a second end electrically connected to the emitters of the plurality of second transistors.

A transient voltage protection circuit includes a first input/output pad, a second input/output pad, and a trigger circuit coupled between the first input/output pad and the second input/output pad. The trigger circuit includes a first trigger element which includes a first input/output node, a second input/output node, a third input/output node, and a first substrate diode coupled to the third input/output node of the first trigger element. The trigger circuit further includes a first resistor coupled between the first input/output node of the first trigger element and the second input/output node of the first trigger element. The trigger circuit further includes a second trigger element which includes a first input/output node, a second input/output node, a third input/output node, wherein the second input/output node of the first trigger element is coupled to the first input/output node of the second trigger element, and a second substrate diode coupled to the third input/output node of the second trigger element. The trigger circuit further includes a second resistor coupled between the first input/output node of the second trigger element and the second input/output node of the second trigger element.

A semiconductor device of the present invention achieves improved avoidance of a parasitic operation in a circuit region while achieving miniaturization of the semiconductor device and a reduction in the amount of time for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes an IGBT disposed on a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate provided with a drift layer of a first conductivity type; a thyristor disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; a circuit region; a hole-current retrieval region separating the IGBT and the circuit region in a plan view; and a diffusion layer of a second conductivity type, the diffusion layer being disposed on a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The IGBT has an effective area equal to or less than an effective area of the thyristor in a plan view.

An integrated circuit device for protecting circuits from transient electrical events is disclosed. An integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor substrate having formed therein a bidirectional semiconductor rectifier (SCR) having a cathode/anode electrically connected to a first terminal and an anode/cathode electrically connected to a second terminal. The integrated circuit device additionally includes a plurality of metallization levels formed above the semiconductor substrate. The integrated circuit device further includes a triggering device formed in the semiconductor substrate on a first side and adjacent to the bidirectional SCR. The triggering device includes one or more of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) or an avalanche PN diode, where a first device terminal of the triggering device is commonly connected to the T1 with the K/A, and where a second device terminal of the triggering device is electrically connected to a central region of the bidirectional SCR through one or more of the metallization levels.

Each of cells arranged on a substrate surface along a first direction includes at least one unit transistor. Collector electrodes are arranged between two adjacent cells. A first cell, which is at least one of the cells, includes unit transistors arranged along the first direction. The unit transistors are connected in parallel to each another. In the first cell, the base electrode and the emitter electrode in each unit transistor are arranged along the first direction, and the order of arrangement of the base electrode and the emitter electrode is the same among the unit transistors. When looking at one first cell, a maximum value of distances in the first direction between the emitter electrodes of two adjacent unit transistors in the first cell being looked at is shorter than ½ of a shorter one of distances between the first cell being looked at and adjacent cells.

A gate driver integrated circuit for driving a gate of an IGBT or MOSFET receives an input signal. In response to a rising edge of the input signal, the integrated circuit causes the gate to be driven in a first sequence of time periods. In each period, the gate is driven high (pulled up) via a corresponding one of a plurality of different effective gate resistances. In response to a falling edge of the input signal, the integrated circuit causes the gate to be driven in a second sequence of time periods. In each period, the gate is driven low (pulled down) via a corresponding one of the different effective gate resistances. In one example, the duration of each time period is set by a corresponding external passive circuit component. The different effective gate resistances are set by external gate resistors disposed between the integrated circuit and the gate.

This electrostatic protection circuit enables a high hold voltage to be set, and acts to accurately prevent breakdown of a protected circuit immediately after power on, and to prevent breakdown or deterioration of a protection device during prolonged normal operation, without connecting a resistance element in parallel to a plurality of circuit blocks connected in series. This electrostatic protection circuit is provided with a plurality of circuit blocks connected in series between a first node and a second node, at least one circuit block out of the plurality of circuit blocks including a thyristor having an anode connected to one end of the at least one circuit block and a cathode connected to the other end of the at least one circuit block. When the potential of the first node is higher than the potential of the second node during normal operation, the voltage between both ends of the other circuit blocks out of the plurality of circuit blocks is smaller than the voltage between the anode and the cathode of the thyristor.