A self-powered electronic system comprises a first chip (401) of single-crystalline semiconductor embedded in a second chip (302) of single-crystalline semiconductor shaped as a container bordered by ridges. The assembled chips are nested and form an electronic device assembled, in turn, in a slab of weakly p-doped low-grade silicon shaped as a container (330) bordered by ridges (331). The flat side (335) of the slab includes a heavily n-doped region (314) forming a pn-junction (315) with the p-type bulk. A metal-filled deep silicon via (350) through the p-type ridge (331) connects the n-region with the terminal (322) on the ridge surface as cathode of the photovoltaic cell with the p-region as anode. The voltage across the pn-junction serves as power source of the device.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor wafer having at least one semiconductor device integrated in a first device layer, a thermally conductive but electrically isolating layer on a back side of the semiconductor wafer, a front side glass on a front side of the semiconductor wafer, where the thermally conductive but electrically isolating layer is configured to dissipate heat from the at least one semiconductor device integrated in the semiconductor wafer. The thermally conductive but electrically isolating layer is selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, and aluminum oxide. The at least one semiconductor device is selected from the group consisting of a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) switch and a bipolar complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) switch. The semiconductor structure also includes at least one pad opening extending from the back side of the semiconductor wafer to a contact pad.

Integrated circuits and methods of manufacture and design thereof are disclosed. For example, a method of manufacturing includes using a first mask to pattern a gate material forming a plurality of first and second features. The first features form gate electrodes of the semiconductor devices, whereas the second features are dummy electrodes. Based on the location of these dummy electrodes, selected dummy electrodes are removed using a second mask. The use of the method provides greater flexibility in tailoring individual devices for different objectives.

It is prevented that when a predetermined number of semiconductor chips having transistors are manufactured from one semiconductor wafer, manufacturing cost of a semiconductor device is increased due to excess semiconductor chips manufactured from the semiconductor wafer. A first bipolar transistor including a first emitter region having a first area is formed in a first chip formation region in an exposure region that can be exposed by one exposure step, and a second bipolar transistor including a second emitter region having a second area different from the first area is formed in a second chip formation region in the exposure region.

Complementary high-voltage bipolar transistors formed in standard bulk silicon integrated circuits are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, collector regions are formed in an epitaxial silicon layer. Base regions and emitters are disposed over the collector region. An n-type region is formed under collector region by implanting donor impurities into a p-substrate for the PNP transistor and implanting acceptor impurities into the p-substrate for the NPN transistor prior to depositing the collector epitaxial regions. Later in the process flow these n-type and p-type regions are connected to the top of the die by a deep n+ and p+ wells respectively. The n-type well is then coupled to VCC while the p-type well is coupled to GND, providing laterally depleted portions of the PNP and NPN collector regions and hence, increasing their BVs.

A power semiconductor device is comprised of a plurality of zones having similar structure. Each of the zones may be characterized by a switching loss during transitions to a non-conducting state. The device is configured such that the switching loss is different between at least two of the zones. Further, the device is configured such that zones having greater switching losses transition to the non-conducting state before zones having lesser switching losses.

A bipolar junction transistor includes an emitter, a base contact, a collector and a shallow trench isolation. The base contact has two base fingers that form a corner to receive the emitter. The collector has two collector fingers extending along the base fingers of the base contact. The shallow trench isolation is disposed in between the emitter and the base contact and in between the base contact and the collector.

A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer including a main IGBT cell and a sense IGBT cell connected in parallel to each other, a first resistance portion having a first resistance value formed using a gate wiring portion of the sense IGBT cell and a second resistance portion having a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, a gate wiring electrically connected through mutually different channels to the first resistance portion and the second resistance portion, a first diode provided between the gate wiring and the first resistance portion, a second diode provided between the gate wiring and the second resistance portion in a manner oriented reversely to the first diode, an emitter electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, electrically connected to an emitter of the main IGBT cell, and a sense emitter electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, electrically connected to an emitter of the sense IGBT cell.

It is prevented that when a predetermined number of semiconductor chips having transistors are manufactured from one semiconductor wafer, manufacturing cost of a semiconductor device is increased due to excess semiconductor chips manufactured from the semiconductor wafer. A first bipolar transistor including a first emitter region having a first area is formed in a first chip formation region in an exposure region that can be exposed by one exposure step, and a second bipolar transistor including a second emitter region having a second area different from the first area is formed in a second chip formation region in the exposure region.

Complementary high-voltage bipolar transistors in silicon-on-insulator (SOl) integrated circuits is disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a collector region is formed in an epitaxial silicon layer disposed over a buried insulator layer. A base region and an emitter are disposed over the collector region. An n-type region is formed under the buried insulator layer (BOX) by implanting donor impurity through the active region of substrate and BOX into a p-substrate. Later in the process flow this n-type region is connected from the top by doped poly-silicon plug and is biased at Vcc. In this case it will deplete lateral portion of PNP collector region and hence, will increase its BV.