Circuit configurations and related methods are provided that may be implemented using insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device circuitry to protect at risk circuitry (e.g., such as high voltage output buffer circuitry or any other circuitry subject to undesirable ESD events) from damage due to ESD events that may occur during system assembly. The magnitude of the trigger voltage V.sub.T1 threshold for an IGBT ESD protection device may be dynamically controlled between at least two different values so that trigger voltage V.sub.T1 threshold for an IGBT ESD protection device may be selectively reduced when needed to better enable ESD operation.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method to increase breakdown voltage of a power device. A power device is formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer made up of a device wafer, a handle wafer, and an intermediate oxide layer. A recess is formed in a lower surface of the handle wafer to define a recessed region of the handle wafer. The recessed region of the handle wafer has a first handle wafer thickness, which is greater than zero. An un-recessed region of the handle wafer has a second handle wafer thickness, which is greater than the first handle wafer thickness. The first handle wafer thickness of the recessed region provides a breakdown voltage improvement for the power device.

A semiconductor device including: a P-type base region provided; an N-type emitter region provided inside the P-type base region; a P-type collector region that is provided on the surface layer portion of the N-type semiconductor layer and is separated from the P-type base region; a gate insulating film that is provided on the surface of the N-type semiconductor layer, and that contacts the P-type base region and the N-type emitter region; a gate electrode on the gate insulating film; a pillar shaped structure provided inside the N-type semiconductor layer between the P-type base region and the P-type collector region, wherein one end of the pillar shaped structure is connected to an N-type semiconductor that extends to the surface layer portion of the N-type semiconductor layer, and the pillar shaped structure includes an insulator extending in a depth direction of the N-type semiconductor layer.

According to one example embodiment, a structure includes at least one SOI (semiconductor-on-insulator) transistor situated over a buried oxide layer, where the buried oxide layer overlies a bulk substrate. The structure further includes an electrically charged field control ring situated over the buried oxide layer and surrounding the at least one SOI transistor. A width of the electrically charged field control ring is greater than a thickness of the buried oxide layer. The electrically charged field control ring reduces a conductivity of a surface portion of the bulk substrate underlying the field control ring, thereby reducing RF coupling of the at least one SOI transistor through the bulk substrate. The structure further includes an isolation region situated between the electrically charged field control ring and the at least one SOI transistor. A method to achieve and implement the disclosed structure is also provided.

There is provided a high withstand voltage LDMOS field-effect transistor that enables the compatibility of an increase of its withstand voltage and a decrease of its ON resistance. The high withstand voltage LDMOS is characterizing in including: a first electroconductive type body region formed on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; a second electroconductive type source region formed on a surface of the body region; a second electroconductive type drift region formed so as to have contact with the body region; a second electroconductive type drain region formed on the drift region; a first electroconductive type buried region having contact with the body region and formed below the drift region; a gate electrode formed above the body region between the source region and the drift region and above the drift region nearer to the source region via a gate insulating film; a first field plate that extends from the gate electrode toward the drain region and that is formed above the drift region via a first insulating film; and a second field plate that has contact with the source region or the gate electrode and that is formed above the first field plate via a second insulating film, in which a distance between the buried region and the drain region is smaller than a distance between the first field plate and the drain region and larger than a distance between the second field plate and the drain region.

The present invention provides a switching device (100) for power conversion in which a first gate electrode (6), a p-type channel layer (2) having an n-type emitter region (3), a second gate electrode (13), and a p-type floating layer (15) are repeatedly arranged in order on the surface side of an n.sup.type semiconductor substrate (1). An interval a between the two gates (6, 13) that sandwich the p-type channel layer (2) is configured to be smaller than an interval b between the two gates (13, 6) that sandwich the p-type floating layer (15). The first gate electrode (6) and the second gate electrode (13) are both supplied with drive signals having a time difference in drive timing.

A semiconductor device including: a P-type base region provided; an N-type emitter region provided inside the P-type base region; a P-type collector region that is provided on the surface layer portion of the N-type semiconductor layer and is separated from the P-type base region; a gate insulating film that is provided on the surface of the N-type semiconductor layer, and that contacts the P-type base region and the N-type emitter region; a gate electrode on the gate insulating film; a pillar shaped structure provided inside the N-type semiconductor layer between the P-type base region and the P-type collector region, wherein one end of the pillar shaped structure is connected to an N-type semiconductor that extends to the surface layer portion of the N-type semiconductor layer, and the pillar shaped structure includes an insulator extending in a depth direction of the N-type semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a semiconductor device in the substrate, and an isolating structure in the substrate and adjacent to the semiconductor device. The isolating structure has a roughness surface at a sidewall of the isolating structure, and the roughness surface includes carbon atoms thereon.

A bidirectional Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) device, including a P-type substrate, and an active region. The active region includes a drift region, a first MOS structure and a second MOS structure; the first MOS structure includes a first P-type body region, a first P+ contact region, a first N+ source region, a first metal electrode, and a first gate structure; the second MOS structure includes a second P-type body region, a second P+ contact region, a second N+ source region, a second metal electrode, and a second gate structure; and the drift region includes a dielectric slot, a first N-type layer, a second N-type layer, and an N-type region. The active region is disposed on the upper surface of the P-type substrate. The first MOS structure and the second MOS structure are symmetrically disposed on two ends of the upper layer of the drift region.

The present invention provides a switching device (100) for power conversion in which a first gate electrode (6), a p-type channel layer (2) having an n-type emitter region (3), a second gate electrode (13), and a p-type floating layer (15) are repeatedly arranged in order on the surface side of an n-type semiconductor substrate (1). An interval a between the two gates (6, 13) that sandwich the p-type channel layer (2) is configured to be smaller than an interval b between the two gates (13, 6) that sandwich the p-type floating layer (15). The first gate electrode (6) and the second gate electrode (13) are both supplied with drive signals having a time difference in drive timing.