A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate having a SiC epitaxial layer disposed over a surface of the SiC substrate, the SiC substrate having a first conductivity and the SiC epitaxial layer having the first conductivity. A contact region and a well region are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer, the contact region and the well region have a doping level of a second conductivity opposite the first conductivity. The contact region lies completely within the well region, is not in contact with a region having the first conductivity and has edges recessed from edges of the well region.

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed. One such apparatus includes a well having a first type of conductivity formed within a semiconductor structure having a second type of conductivity. A boundary of the well has an edge that is substantially beneath an edge of an active area of a tap to the well.

A method for fabricating a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes providing a SiC epitaxial layer disposed over a surface of a SiC substrate, forming an implant aperture in a hardmask layer on a surface of the expitaxial SiC layer, implanting contact and well regions in the SiC epitaxial layer through the hardmask layer, the contact region lying completely within and recessed from edges of the well region by performing one of implanting the well region through the implant aperture, reducing the area of the implant aperture forming a reduced-area contact implant aperture and implanting the contact region through the reduced-area implant aperture to form a contact region, and implanting the contact region through the implant aperture, increasing the area of the implant aperture to form a increased-area well implant aperture and implanting the well region through the increased-area implant aperture to form a well region completely surrounding the contact region.

An Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a p-type substrate; a p-type well formed on the p-type substrate; a first Negative channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) transistor and a second NMOS transistor formed in the p-type well, where a drain of the first NMOS transistor is connected to a source of the second NMOS transistor; and a Lightly Doped Drain (LDD) region formed in proximity to a source of the first NMOS transistor.

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate having a SiC epitaxial layer disposed over a surface of the SiC substrate, the SiC substrate having a first conductivity and the SiC epitaxial layer having the first conductivity. A contact region and a well region are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer, the contact region and the well region have a doping level of a second conductivity opposite the first conductivity. The contact region lies completely within the well region, is not in contact with a region having the first conductivity and has edges recessed from edges of the well region.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first P-type well region and a second P-type well region disposed in the substrate, wherein the first P-type well region and the second P-type well region are spaced apart from each other, an N-type source region disposed in the substrate, wherein the N-type source region is disposed spaced apart from the second P-type well region, an N-type drain region disposed in the second P-type well region, an N-type LDD region disposed near the N-type drain region, and a gate insulating layer and a gate electrode on the substrate, wherein the gate electrode partially overlaps the second P-type well region.

A method for fabricating a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes providing a SiC epitaxial layer disposed over a surface of a SiC substrate, forming an implant aperture in a hardmask layer on a surface of the expitaxial SiC layer, implanting contact and well regions in the SiC epitaxial layer through the hardmask layer, the contact region lying completely within and recessed from edges of the well region by performing one of implanting the well region through the implant aperture, reducing the area of the implant aperture forming a reduced-area contact implant aperture and implanting the contact region through the reduced-area implant aperture to form a contact region, and implanting the contact region through the implant aperture, increasing the area of the implant aperture to form a increased-area well implant aperture and implanting the well region through the increased-area implant aperture to form a well region completely surrounding the contact region.

Laterally-diffused-metal-oxide-silicon (LDMOS) devices, integrated circuits including LDMOS devices, and methods for fabricating the same are provided. An exemplary LDMOS device includes a substrate having a surface, a gate structure overlying the surface and a channel region in the substrate below the gate structure, and a drain region in the substrate. The LDMOS device further includes a surface insulator region disposed between the gate structure and the drain region at the surface of the substrate and a dielectric block different from the surface insulator region and located over the surface insulator region. Also, the LDMOS device includes a field effect structure. The field effect structure includes a field plate disposed over and distanced from the surface of the substrate. The field effect structure also includes a conductive structure coupled to the field plate and extending from the field plate toward the dielectric block.

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed. One such apparatus includes a well having a first type of conductivity formed within a semiconductor structure having a second type of conductivity. A boundary of the well has an edge that is substantially beneath an edge of an active area of a tap to the well.

A semiconductor device includes a source region configured to provide at least a portion of a MOSFET source of a MOSFET and at least a portion of a JFET source of a JFET. The semiconductor device includes a JFET channel region in series with the source region and a MOSFET channel region of the MOSFET, and disposed between a first JFET gate and a second JFET gate. The semiconductor device includes a JFET drain disposed at least partially between a gate insulator of a gate of the MOSFET and at least a portion of the JFET channel region, and in electrical contact with the first JFET gate and the second JFET gate. Various example implementations of this type of semiconductor device provide a SiC power MOSFET with improved short-circuit capability and durability, with minimal impact on R.sub.DS-ON.