Delco Electronics Corporation

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Diane W Sidner

Douglas J Yoder

David E Moss

John R Fruth

Dean M Dahlgnist

An apparatus and method for measuring leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be formed therein includes a system for measuring surface minority carrier leakage within the first semiconductor region. A correlation is established between surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region and leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions, and in one embodiment a surface minority carrier lifetime threshold is designated based on this correlation. Leakage current between the first and second regions is acceptable if the measured surface minority carrier lifetime is greater than this threshold. In an alternate embodiment, a leakage current threshold is established, and the measured surface minority carrier leakage is converted via the correlation to a measured leakage current. Leakage current between the first and second regions is acceptable in this embodiment if the measured leakage current is less than the leakage current threshold.

Apparatus and method for determining leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be formed therein

A moat having a flat bottom and tapered side walls is formed in a monocrystalline silicon body (substrate) and extends from a top surface of the substrate into the substrate. An oxide layer is grown over side walls and a bottom of the moat and then is selectively removed from the bottom of the moat to expose silicon. An epitaxial stalk (a recessed mesa) is grown on the silicon at the bottom of the moat to a height which makes its top at least coplanar with the top surface of the substrate.

Method of forming semiconductor stalk structure by epitaxial growth in

A pressure sensor uses a monocrystalline silicon chip that has a diaphragm portion in which strain gages are formed that overlie a buried cavity. The cavity is formed by a single sided semiconductor fabrication process that includes a pair of preferential etching steps and an epitaxial deposition step.

Method of making a semiconductive structure useful as a pressure sensor

Semiconductive stalk structure

Semiconductive structure useful as a pressure sensor

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Noblesville, IN, United States of America

Diane W Sidner