A protection device for protecting an IC against electrostatic discharge includes a buried insulant layer having a thickness that is no greater than fifty nanometers with bipolar transistors arranged thereon, one of which is NPN and the other of which is PNP. A base of one merges with a collector of the other. The transistors selectively conduct a discharge current between electrodes. A first semiconductor ground plane under the buried insulant layer is capable of being electrically biased and extends underneath the base of the first bipolar transistor. The ground plane and a base of one transistor have the same doping. However, its dopant density is at least tenfold greater than that of the base.

The invention relates to an IC with an electrostatic discharge protection device. There is a buried insulant layer 50 nm or less in thickness and first and second bipolar transistors on the insulant layer, one being an npn transistor and the other a pnp transistor. The base of the first transistor is merged with the collector of the second transistor and the base of the second transistor is merged with the collector of the first transistor. The first and second bipolar transistors are configured to selectively conduct a discharge current between two electrodes of the protection device. There is a first semiconductor ground plane under the insulant layer, being electrically biased, extending until it is plumb with the base of the first bipolar transistor, exhibiting a first type of doping identical to that of the base of the first bipolar transistor with a doping density at least ten times greater.

Memory devices and methods of making memory devices are shown. Methods and configurations as shown provide folded and vertical memory devices for increased memory density. Methods provided reduce a need for manufacturing methods such as deep dopant implants.

A reverse conducting power semiconductor device includes a plurality of thyristor cells and a freewheeling diode are integrated in a semiconductor wafer. The freewheeling diode includes a diode anode layer, a diode anode electrode, a diode cathode layer, and a diode cathode electrode. The diode cathode layer includes diode cathode layer segments, each of which is stripe-shaped and arranged within a corresponding stripe-shaped first diode anode layer segment such that a longitudinal main axis of each diode cathode layer segment extends along the longitudinal main axis of the corresponding one of the first diode anode layer segments.

Disclosed is a power semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor wafer having a first main side and second main side. The semiconductor wafer comprises parallel thyristor cells, which each comprises (a) a cathode electrode and gate electrode on the first main side; (b) a cathode layer comprising a cathode region of a first conductivity type, forming an ohmic contact with the cathode electrode; (c) a first base layer of a second conductivity type, wherein the cathode region forms a p-n junction between the first base layer and cathode region; (d) a second base layer of the first conductivity type forming a second p-n junction with the first base layer; (e) an anode layer of the second conductivity type separated from the first base layer by the second base layer. The gate electrodes of the plurality of thyristor cells form a gate design comprising multiple polygons each comprising at least four struts.

Bidirectional thyristor device comprising a semiconductor body extending in a vertical direction between a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, a first main electrode arranged on the first main surface, and a second main electrode arranged on the second main surface, is specified, wherein the semiconductor body comprises a first base layer of a first conductivity type, a second base layer of the first conductivity type, and a third base layer of a second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type arranged between the first base layer and the second base layer. The first main electrode acts as a cathode for a first thyristor functional element and as an anode for a second thyristor functional element of the bidirectional thyristor device. The bidirectional thyristor device is configured asymmetrically with respect to the first thyristor functional element and the second thyristor functional element.