Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation

Kai-Chieh Hsu

Feng-Min Lee

Yu-Yu Lin

Po-Hao Tseng

Shao-Chang Huang

Chun-Chih Chen

Yeh-Ning Jou

Ching-Ho Li

Chih-Hsuan Lin

Li-Fan Chen

Yu-Hsuan Lin

Chieh-Yao Chuang

Hsien-Feng Liao

Ting-You Lin

Gong-Kai Lin

Ming-Hsiu Lee

Wen-Hsin Lin

Dai-Ying Lee

Hwa-Chyi Chiou

Chien-Hsien Song

Hsiao-Ying Yang

Yu-Kai Wang

Chao-Hung Wang

Wei-Sung Chen

Fu-Chun Tseng

Chi-Hung Lo

Chien-Wei Wang

Chien-Chi Hsu

Ting-Yu Chang

An ESD protection circuit is coupled to a first pad and includes an ESD detection circuit, a P-type transistor, an N-type transistor, and a discharge circuit. The ESD detection circuit determines whether an ESD event occurs on the first pad to generate a detection signal at a first node. The P-type transistor comprises a source coupled to the first pad, a drain coupled to a second node, and a gate coupled to the first node. The N-type transistor comprises a drain coupled to the second node, a source coupled to a ground, and a gate coupled to a second pad. The discharge circuit is coupled between the first pad and the ground and controlled by a driving signal at the second node. When the ESD protection circuit is in an operation mode, the first pad receives a first voltage, and a second pad receives a second voltage.

Electrostatic discharge protection circuit

An ESD protection circuit includes a buffer circuit, a driving circuit, and a power-clamping circuit. The buffer circuit includes first and second transistors having a first conductivity type coupled in a cascade configuration between a first node and a first power supply node. A bonding pad is coupled to the first node. The drive circuit determines a state of at least one of the first and second transistors according to a control voltage. The drive circuit includes a third transistor having a second conductivity type, which is coupled between a second power supply node and a gate of the first transistor and is controlled by the control signal. The power-clamping circuit is coupled to the bonding pad and a gate of the third transistor at a second node. The control voltage is generated at the second node and determined by a voltage at the bonding pad.

A voltage tracking circuit is provided. The voltage tracking circuit includes first and second P-type transistors and a control circuit. The drain of the first P-type transistor is coupled to a first voltage terminal. The gate and the drain of the second P-type transistor are respectively coupled to the first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal. The control circuit is coupled to the first and second voltage terminals and generates a control voltage according to the first voltage and the second voltage. The sources of the first and second P-type transistors are coupled to an output terminal of the voltage tracking circuit, and the output voltage is generated at the output terminal. In response to the second voltage being higher than the first voltage, the control circuit generates the control signal to turn off the first P-type transistor.

Voltage tracking circuits with low power consumption and electronic circuits using the same

A semiconductor structure, including a substrate, a first well, a second well, a first doped region, a second doped region, a first gate structure, a first insulating layer, and a first field plate structure. The first and second wells are disposed in the substrate. The first doped region is disposed in the first well. The second doped region is disposed in the second well. The first gate structure is disposed between the first and second doped regions. The first insulating layer covers a portion of the first well and a portion of the first gate structure. The first field plate structure is disposed on the first insulating layer, and it partially overlaps the first gate structure. Wherein the first field plate structure is segmented into a first partial field plate and a second partial field plate separated from each other along a first direction.

Semiconductor structure

A voltage tracking circuit is provided and includes first and second P-type transistors and a voltage reducing circuit. The drain of the first P-type transistor is coupled to a first voltage terminal. The voltage reducing circuit is coupled between the first voltage terminal and the gate of the first P-type transistor. The voltage reducing circuit reduces a first voltage at the first voltage terminal by a modulation voltage to generate a control voltage and provides the control voltage to the gate of the first P-type transistor. The gate of the second P-type transistor is coupled to the first voltage terminal, and the drain thereof is coupled to a second voltage terminal. The source of the first P-type transistor and the source of the second P-type transistor are coupled to the output terminal of the voltage tracking circuit. The output voltage is generated at the output terminal.

Voltage tracking circuits and electronic circuits

An operating circuit is provided. A first N-type transistor determines whether to create an open circuit between a core circuit and a ground terminal according to the voltage level of a specific node. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is coupled between an input/output pad and the core circuit to prevent an ESD current from passing through the core circuit. The ESD protection circuit includes a detection circuit and a releasing element. The detection circuit determines whether there is an ESD event at the input/output pad and generates a first detection signal according to the detection of the ESD event at the input/output pad. The releasing element provides a release path according to the first detection signal to release the ESD current. A control circuit controls the voltage level of the specific node according to the first detection signal.

Operating circuit having ESD protection function

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a Schottky layer, a plurality of first doped regions, a plurality of second doped regions, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a first conductive type, and the Schottky layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The first doped regions and the second doped regions include a second conductive type, and which are disposed within the semiconductor substrate. The first doped regions are in parallel and extended along a first direction, and the second doped regions are in parallel and extended along a second direction to cross the first doped regions, thereby to define a plurality of grid areas. The first conductive layer is disposed on the Schottky layer, and the second conductive layer is disposed under the semiconductor substrate.

Semiconductor device

A contact hole structure includes a substrate, an interlayer dielectric (ILD), a conductive layer and an insulating capping layer. The ILD is disposed on the substrate and has a first opening. The conductive layer is disposed in the ILD and aligns the first opening. The insulating capping layer has a spacer disposed on a first sidewall of the first opening, wherein the spacer contacts to the conductive layer and defines a second opening in the first opening, so as to expose a portion of the conductive layer.

Contact hole structure method for fabricating the same and applications thereof

A multi-state memory device includes a first memory element, a second memory element, a first controlling element and a second controlling element. The second memory element has a memory cell structure identical to that of the first memory element and connects to the first memory element in series. The first controlling element is connected to the first memory element either in series or in parallel. The second controlling element has a characteristic value identical to that of the first controlling element and is connected to the second memory element by a connection structure identical to that of the first controlling element. When the first memory element receives a first signal and a second signal through the first controlling element, a first state value and a second state value are generated correspondingly, and the characteristic value is greater than the first state value and less than the second state value.

Multi-state memory device and method for adjusting memory state characteristics of the same

A method for treating a semiconductor structure comprising memory devices is provided, wherein a forming process is conducted to initialize operation of the memory devices. The semiconductor structure is subjected to a forming thermal treatment, and step of saving data to the memory devices is performed after the forming thermal treatment.

Method for thermally treating semiconductor structure before saving data

A semiconductor device includes a programmable memory array comprising plural memory units disposed above a substrate. One of the memory units comprises a gate electrode disposed above the substrate, a conductive portion spaced apart from the gate electrode, and a dielectric layer contacting the conductive portion and separated from the gate electrode, and the dielectric layer defining a threshold voltage of the related memory unit, wherein at least two of the memory units have different threshold voltages.

Semiconductor device with physically unclonable function (PUF) and apparatus including the same

A ReRAM device is provided. The ReRAM device comprises a first dielectric layer disposed on a substrate and covering a gate oxide structure on the substrate, a first conductive connecting structure disposed on the substrate and penetrating the first dielectric layer, and a ReRAM unit disposed on the first conductive connecting structure. The first dielectric layer comprises a first insulating layer disposed on the substrate, and a stop layer disposed on the first insulating layer and contacting a top surface of the gate oxide structure, wherein the stop layer is a hydrogen controlled layer.

Resistive random access memory device and method for manufacturing the same

A method for physically unclonable function-identification (PUF-ID) generation includes: providing a PUF array having programmable resistance memory cells; performing a forming procedure followed by a programming procedure on all of the programmable resistance memory cells of the PUF array; performing an estimation process to estimate randomness of the PUF array, by comparing a reference current of a base unit to a total current passing through all of the programmable resistance memory cells for obtaining a PUF randomness; determining a setting result of randomness based on the estimation process; and generating a PUF-ID according to the setting result of randomness.

Method for physically unclonable function-identification generation and apparatus of the same

A method to program a programmable resistance memory cell includes performing one or more iterations until a verifying passes. The iterations include a) applying a programming pulse to the memory cell, and, b) after applying the programming pulse, verifying if the resistance of the memory cell is in a target resistance range. After an iteration of the one or more iterations in which the verifying passes, c) a stabilizing pulse with a polarity the same as the programming pulse is applied to the memory cell. After applying the stabilizing pulse, a second verifying determines if the resistance of the programmable element is in the target resistance range. Iterations comprising steps a), b), c), and d) are performed until the second verifying passes. Methods and apparatus are described to program a plurality of such cells, including applying a stabilizing pulse of the same polarity after programming.

Iterative method and apparatus to program a programmable resistance memory element using stabilizing pulses

A method for operating a resistance switching memory device is provided, wherein the method includes a first program process, and the first program process includes steps as follows: A programming pulse having a first polarity is firstly applied to at least one resistance switching memory cell of the NVM device. A first verifying pulse with a verifying voltage is then applied to the resistance switching memory cell. A first settling pulse is applied to the resistance switching memory cell prior to or after the verifying pulse is applied, wherein the first settling pulse includes a settling voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity and an absolute value substantially less than that of the verifying voltage.

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Taoyuan, Taiwan

Kai-Chieh Hsu