The present disclosure provides a latch-up test structure, including: a substrate of a first conductive type; a first well region of the first conductive type, located in the substrate of the first conductive type; a first doped region of the first conductive type, located in the first well region of the first conductive type; a first doped region of a second conductive type, located in the first well region of the first conductive type; and a second doped region of the first conductive type, a second doped region of the second conductive type, a third doped region of the first conductive type, and a third doped region of the second conductive type that are arranged at intervals in the substrate of the first conductive type.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to circuitry operable with enhanced capacitance and mitigation of avalanche breakdown. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus and/or method involves respective transistors of a cascode circuit, one of which controls the other in an off state by applying a voltage to a gate thereof. A plurality of doped regions are separated by trenches, with the conductive trenches being configured and arranged with the doped regions to provide capacitance across the source and the drain of the second transistor, and restricting voltage at one of the source and the drain of the second transistor, therein mitigating avalanche breakdown of the second transistor.

An apparatus includes lightly doped drain regions vertically extending into a semiconductor substrate. A channel region is horizontally interposed between the lightly doped drain regions, and source/drain regions vertically extend into the lightly doped drain regions. Breakdown-enhancement implant intrusion regions are within the lightly doped drain regions and are horizontally interposed between the channel region and the source/drain regions. The breakdown enhancement implant regions have a different chemical species than the lightly doped drain regions and have upper boundaries vertically underlying upper boundaries of the lightly doped drain regions. The apparatus also has a gate structure vertically overlying the channel regions and it is horizontally interposed between the breakdown-enhancement implant regions. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming microelectronic devices are also described.

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a semiconductor substrate; a diffusion layer; a first depletion prevention region; a channel stopper electrode, a monitor electrode and an insulating film. The inner edge portion of the monitor electrode is positioned between the diffusion layer and the first depletion prevention region. A distance between the outer edge portion of the channel stopper electrode and the inner edge portion of the monitor electrode is a first distance. A distance between the diffusion layer and the first depletion prevention region is a second distance. The first and second distances are set so that a discharge voltage between the channel stopper electrode and the monitor electrode becomes greater than an avalanche breakdown voltage at a PN junction portion of the diffusion layer and the semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor device includes a first electrode, a first semiconductor region connected to the first electrode and being of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region provided on the first semiconductor region, contacting the first semiconductor region and being of a second conductivity type, first metal layers and second metal layers provided on the second semiconductor region and contacting the second semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region provided between the first semiconductor region and the first metal layer, and a second electrode. The third semiconductor region contacts the first and second semiconductor regions and being of the first conductivity type. An impurity concentration of the third semiconductor region is greater than an impurity concentration of the first semiconductor region. The second electrode contacts the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region, the first metal layers, and the second metal layers.

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes first and second electrode, and semiconductor layer between the first and the second electrode. The semiconductor layer has first and second plane. The semiconductor layer includes first region of first conductivity type, second region of second conductivity type between the first plane and the first region, third region of second conductivity type between the first plane and the first region and, fourth region of second conductivity type between the second and the third region, and fifth region of first conductivity type having first portion provided between the first and the fourth region. Width of the fourth region is larger than that of the second region. Distance between the second region and the first portion is smaller than distance between the second and the fourth region. And width of the first portion is smaller than that of the fourth region.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor part, first and second electrodes, and a control electrode. The semiconductor part is provided between the first and second electrodes. The control electrode is provided in a trench of the semiconductor part between the semiconductor part and the second electrode. The semiconductor part includes first to third layers. The first layer of a first conductivity type extends between the first and second electrodes. The second layer of a second conductivity type is provided between the first layer and the second electrode. The second layer is connected to the second electrode. The third layer of the second conductivity type is provided between the second layer and the control electrode. The third layer includes a second-conductivity-type impurity with a higher concentration than a second-conductivity-type impurity of the second layer. The third layer contacts the second electrode, and is electrically connected to the second electrode.

Provided is a semiconductor device comprising an active region and an edge region, the semiconductor device comprising: a drift region of a first conductivity type provided in the semiconductor substrate; a base region of a second conductivity type provided above the drift region; a first collector region of the second conductivity type provided below the drift region in the active region; and a second collector region of the second conductivity type provided below the drift region in the edge region, wherein a doping concentration of the first collector region is higher than a doping concentration of the second collector region, wherein an area of the first collector region is of the same size as an area of the second collector region or larger than the area of the second collector region, in a top plan view.

A trench-gate power MOSFET with optimized layout, comprising: a substrate; a first semiconductor region formed on the substrate, having a first doping type; mutually separated trench isolation gate structure, formed on the first semiconductor region, the trench isolation gate structure includes an gate oxide layer and a gate electrode; a second semiconductor region and a third semiconductor region formed between any two adjacent structures of mutually separated trench isolation gate structures; and a first shielding region, formed under each of the third semiconductor regions, connecting simultaneously with multiple mutually separated trench isolation structures.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor part, first and second electrodes and a control electrode. The semiconductor part is provided between the first and second electrode. The semiconductor part includes first and third layers of a first conductivity type, and second, fourth and fifth layers of a second conductivity type. The first layer extends between the first and second electrodes. The second layer is provided between the first layer and the second electrode. The third semiconductor layer is provided between the second layer and the second electrode. The fourth layer is provided between the first layer and the first electrode. The semiconductor part includes an active region and a termination region. The active region includes the control electrode, the second layer, and the third layer. The termination region surrounds the active region.

The fifth layer is provided in the first layer in the termination region.