Disclosed is a transistor device which includes a semiconductor body having a first surface, a source region, a drift region, a body region being arranged between the source region and the drift region, a gate electrode adjacent the body region and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric, and a field electrode adjacent the drift region and dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric, wherein the field electrode comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer has a lower electrical resistance than the second layer, wherein a portion of the second layer is disposed above and directly contacts a portion of the first layer.

A switching device according to the present invention is a switching device for switching a load by on-off control of voltage, and includes an SiC semiconductor layer where a current path is formed by on-control of the voltage, a first electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer, and a second electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer for conducting with the first electrode due to the formation of the current path, while the first electrode has a variable resistance portion made of a material whose resistance value increases under a prescribed high-temperature condition for limiting current density of overcurrent to not more than a prescribed value when the overcurrent flows to the current path.

Semiconductor device having less defects in a gate insulating film and improved reliability and methods of forming the semiconductor devices are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a gate insulating film on a substrate and a gate electrode structure on the gate insulating film. The gate electrode structure may include a lower conductive film, a silicon oxide film, and an upper conductive film sequentially stacked on the gate insulating film. The lower conductive film may include a barrier metal layer.

The present disclosure relates generally to structures in semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) devices having a silicided polysilicon layer. The present disclosure may provide an active region above a substrate, source and drain electrodes in contact with the active region, a gate above the active region, the gate being laterally between the source and drain electrodes, a polysilicon layer above the substrate, and a silicide layer on the polysilicon layer. The active region includes at least two material layers with different band gaps. The polysilicon layer may be configured as an electronic fuse, a resistor, or a diode.

An electrical assembly may include an electrical component, a first switch, and/or a second switch. The electrical component may include a closed state and an open state. The first switch may be connected in series with the second switch. The first switch and the second switch may be connected in parallel with the electrical component. The first switch and the second switch may be configured to provide a second electrical connection when the electrical component is in the open state. A method of operating an electrical assembly may include providing power from a power source to the electrical component, opening the electrical component, the first switch, and/or the second switch via a controller, closing a second electrical component via the controller, and/or providing a diagnostic current from the power source to a diagnostic load to determine a status of the power source.

A semiconductor device includes a gate structure disposed over a substrate, and a first dielectric layer disposed over the substrate, including and over the gate structure. A first metal feature is disposed in the first dielectric layer, including an upper portion having a first width and a lower portion having a second width that is different than the first width. A dielectric spacer is disposed along the lower portion of the first metal feature, wherein the upper portion of the first metal feature is disposed over the dielectric spacer. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the first dielectric layer, including over the first metal feature and a second metal feature extends through the second dielectric layer to physically contact with the first metal feature. A third metal feature extends through the second dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer to physically contact the gate structure.

A method includes providing a semiconductor structure having a gate structure arrangement provided over a substrate. The gate structure arrangement includes one or more first gate structures and has a first sidewall and a second sidewall on opposite sides of the gate structure arrangement. A second gate structure is formed including a first portion at the first sidewall, a second portion at the second sidewall and a third portion connecting the first and second portions. Each of the first, second and third portions of the second gate structure includes a first part over the gate structure arrangement and a second part over a portion of the substrate adjacent the gate structure arrangement. After the formation of the second gate structure, one or more sections of the second gate structure are removed, wherein the first and second portions of the second gate structure are separated from each other.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming an amorphous metal film on a substrate by time-divisionally conducting a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) simultaneously supplying a metal-containing gas and a first reducing gas to the substrate to form a first amorphous metal layer on the substrate, and (b) forming a second amorphous metal layer on the first amorphous metal layer by time-divisionally supplying, a predetermined number of times, the metal-containing gas and a second reducing gas to the substrate on which the first amorphous metal layer is formed; and forming a crystallized metal layer on the substrate by simultaneously supplying the metal-containing gas and the first reducing gas to the substrate on which the amorphous metal film is formed.

A power MOSFET includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer, a first gate, a second gate, a thermal oxide layer, a first CVD oxide layer, and a gate oxide layer. The semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate and has at least one trench. The first gate is located inside the trench. The second gate is located inside the trench on the first gate, wherein the second gate has a first portion and a second portion, and the second portion is located between the semiconductor layer and the first portion. The thermal oxide layer is located between the first gate and the semiconductor layer. The first CVD oxide layer is located between the first gate and the second gate. The gate oxide layer is generally located between the second gate and the semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a gate electrode in a trench and facing a p type base region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween on a portion of a side wall; a shield electrode in the trench and between the gate electrode and a bottom of the trench; an electric insulating region in the trench, the electric insulating region extending between the gate electrode and the shield electrode, and further extending along the side wall and the bottom of the trench to separate the shield electrode from the side wall and the bottom; a source electrode electrically connected to an n.sup.+ type source region and the shield electrode. The shield electrode has high resistance regions at positions where the high resistance regions face the side walls of the trench, and a low resistance region at a position where the low resistance region is sandwiched between the high resistance regions.