RC-network components that include a substrate and capacitor having a thin-film top electrode portion at a surface on one side of the substrate. The low ohmic semiconductor substrate is doped to contribute 5% or less to the resistance of the RC-network component. The resistance provided in series with the capacitor is controlled by providing a contact plate, spaced from the thin-film top electrode portion by an insulating layer, and a set of one or more bridging contacts passing through openings in the insulating layer. The bridging contacts electrically interconnect the thin-film top electrode portion and the contact plate. Different resistance values can be set by appropriate selection of the number of bridging contacts. The openings are elongated thereby reducing temperature concentration at their periphery. Correspondingly, the bridging contacts have an elongated cross-sectional shape.

RC-network components that include a substrate having a capacitor with a thin-film top electrode portion at a surface at one side of the substrate. The low ohmic semiconductor substrate is doped to contribute 5% or less to the resistance of the RC-network component. The resistance in series with the capacitor is controlled by providing a contact plate, spaced from the top electrode portion by an insulating layer, and a set of one or more bridging contacts in openings in the insulating layer. The bridging contacts electrically interconnect the top electrode portion and contact plate. Different resistance values can be set by appropriate selection of the number of bridging contacts. Temperature concentration at the periphery of the openings is reduced by providing reduced thickness portions in the insulating layer around the periphery of the openings.

A semiconductor device includes: a lower electrode; a first dielectric layer provided on the lower electrode; a first upper electrode provided on the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer provided on the first upper electrode; a second upper electrode provided on the second dielectric layer and electrically connected to the lower electrode; a third dielectric layer provided on the second upper electrode; and a third upper electrode provided on the third dielectric layer and electrically connected to the first upper electrode, wherein a first capacitor between the lower electrode and the first upper electrode, a second capacitor between the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode, and a third capacitor between the second upper electrode and the third upper electrode are connected in parallel with each other.

A semi-conductor structure with selective bottom terminal contacting is described. The semiconductor device comprises a first metal layer disposed over a substrate; a conductive layer disposed over the first metal layer; and a second metal layer disposed over the conductive layer, the second metal layer embedding a porous structure comprising a plurality of pores that extend substantially perpendicularly from a top surface of the porous structure toward the conductive layer, wherein only a subset of the plurality of pores open onto the conductive layer.

A short circuit detection apparatus includes a capacitor connected to a high potential side of a semiconductor switching device via a diode and a resistor connected in series, a short circuit determination circuit that detects a terminal voltage of one terminal of the capacitor, and determines that the semiconductor switching device has short-circuited when the terminal voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage, and a voltage control circuit that is provided between another terminal of the capacitor and a low potential side of the semiconductor switching device, switches between a conduction and an interruption of the capacitor and the semiconductor switching device, and applies an offset voltage between the capacitor and the semiconductor switching device when conducting.

Semiconductor structures and methods of forming the same are provided. A method according to an embodiment includes forming a conductive feature and a first conductive plate over a substrate, conformally depositing a dielectric layer over the conductive feature and the first conductive plate, conformally depositing a conductive layer over the conductive feature and the first conductive plate, and patterning the conductive layer to form a second conductive plate over the first conductive plate and a resistor, the resistor includes a conductive line extending along a sidewall of the conductive feature. By employing the method, a high-resistance resistor may be formed along with a capacitor regardless of the resolution limit of, for example, lithography.

The disclosure relates to integrated circuit (IC) structures and fabrication techniques. Methods according to the disclosure can include: providing a precursor structure including: a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD); a barrier dielectric positioned on the first IMD; forming an insulator on the barrier dielectric of the precursor structure, wherein an upper surface of the insulator includes a first trench and a second trench laterally separated from the first trench; forming an alignment marker over the precursor structure by filling the first trench with a first refractory metal film; forming a first metal-insulator-metal (MIM) electrode by filling the second trench with the first refractory metal film; recessing the insulator without exposing an upper surface of the barrier dielectric; forming a MIM dielectric layer on the insulator; and forming a second MIM electrode on the MIM dielectric layer, such that the second MIM electrode overlies a portion of the first MIM electrode.

An integrated inductor structure includes a capacitor, a guard ring, a patterned shield, and an inductor. The guard ring is coupled to the capacitor. The patterned shield is coupled to the guard ring through the capacitor, such that the patterned shield is floating. The inductor is disposed above the guard ring and the patterned shield.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes depositing a first interconnect metal layer on a substrate; depositing a first barrier metal layer on the first interconnect metal layer; depositing a first dielectric layer on the first barrier metal layer; depositing a second barrier metal layer on the first dielectric layer; etching the second barrier metal layer to form a MIM capacitor region and a thin film resistor region; forming a hard mask on the second barrier metal layer and the first dielectric layer; forming an isolated interconnect pattern between the MIM capacitor region and the thin film resistor region; depositing an inter-metal dielectric layer on the hard mask; forming Via holes in the MIM capacitor region and the thin film resistor region, and filling the Via holes with metal to form a Via contact layer.

The present invention suggests a semiconductor device for integration into a power module. The semiconductor device comprises (a) a semiconductor layer (10), a first side of the semiconductor layer (10) having a plurality of depressions (11); (b) an insulating layer (12; 12a, 12b), the insulating layer being deposited on the first side of the semiconductor layer (10) and engaging in the depressions (11); (c) a first electrically conductive layer (14; 14a, 14b) for contacting the semiconductor device (1, 2), the first electrically conductive layer (14; 14a, 14b) being deposited on the insulating layer (12a, 12b); and (d) a second electrically conductive layer (16) for contacting the semiconductor device (1, 2), the second electrically conductive layer (16) being deposited on a second side of the semiconductor layer (10) opposite to the first side. The first electrically conductive layer (14; 14a, 14b) has a plurality of recesses (20, 20) and a plurality of subregions (24), and each subregion (24) is enclosed by at least one recess (20), leaving at least one region (22, 22) having a narrowed cross-section.