Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

TSMC China Company Limited

TSMC Nanjing Company, Limited

Kuo-Ji Chen

Wun-Jie Lin

Ming-Hsiang Song

Jam-Wem Lee

Yu-Ti Su

Wei Yu Ma

Jen-Chou Tseng

Bo-Ting Chen

Tzu-Heng Chang

Chia-Hui Chen

Tao-Yi Hung

Li-Chun Tien

Min-Chang Liang

Sun-Jay Chang

Ker-Min Chen

Wan-Yen Lin

Tzu-Yi Yang

Yu-Xuan Huang

Ming-Fu Tsai

Wei-Yu Ma

Hui-Mei Chou

Kuan-Lun Cheng

Harry-Hak-Lay Chuang

Ching-Wei Tsai

Bao-Ru Young

Stefan Rusu

Ming Zhu

Wen-Hao Chen

Shao-Yu Chou

David Barry Scott

Chia-Hung Chu

Po-Nien Chen

Po-Hung Chen

Rabiul Islam

Po-Chia Lai

Chien-Yuan Lee

Shu-Yi Ying

Chien Yao Huang

Tao Yi Hung

Kuan-Te Li

Chuei-Tang Wang

Lee-Chung Lu

Chen-Jong Wang

Ta-Pen Guo

Chia-Lin Hsu

Wen-Chuan Chiang

Lei Pan

Ting Yu Chen

Ching-Fang Chen

Shao-Yu Li

Fang-Tsun Chu

Wen-Han Wang

Guang-Cheng Wang

Xin-Yong Wang

Shu-Chuan Lee

Huey-Chi Chu

Chang-Fen Hu

Wade Ma

Chih-Peng Lin

Tian-Yu Xie

Hsien-Wei Chen

Hao-Yi Tsai

Chia-En Huang

Jui-Feng Kuan

Wen-Ju Preet Yang

Tsung-Hsin Yu

Tso-Hung Fan

Wei-Yi Hu

Po-Hsiang Lan

Yu-Ren Chen

Sheng-Fang Cheng

Jian-Yi Li

Yen-Lin Liu

Chen-Chih Wu

Chih Chi Hsiao

Chen-Chi Wu

Tsung-Ju Yang

Jill Liu

Jam-Wen Lee

A circuit device includes core circuitry. The circuit device further includes a first plurality of guard rings having a first dopant type, wherein the first plurality of guard rings is around a periphery of the core circuitry. The circuit device further includes a second plurality of guard rings having a second dopant type, wherein the second dopant type is opposite to the first dopant type, and at least one guard ring of the second plurality of guard rings is around a periphery of at least one guard ring of the first plurality of guard rings.

Guard ring and circuit device

An integrated circuit design method includes receiving an integrated circuit design, and determining a floor plan for the integrated circuit design. The floor plan includes an arrangement of a plurality of functional cells and a plurality of tap cells. Potential latchup locations in the floor plan are determined, and the arrangement of at least one of the functional cells or the tap cells is modified based on the determined potential latchup locations.

Method and system for latch-up prevention

An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a plurality of first doped regions of a first semiconductor type over at least one first well region of the first semiconductor type, and a second doped region of a second semiconductor type over a second well region of the second semiconductor type. The second semiconductor type is different from the first semiconductor type. The plurality of first doped regions is arranged along a first direction. Each of the plurality of first doped regions has a first length in the first direction. The second doped region extends in the first direction between at least two first doped regions among the plurality of first doped regions over a second length greater than the first length.

Integrated circuit device and method

Systems and methods are provided for a self-biasing electro-static discharge (ESD) power clamp. The ESD power clamp comprises an ESD detection circuit coupled to a positive supply voltage node and a ground voltage node. The ESD detection circuit includes a first node having a first voltage level during a standby mode and a second voltage level during an ESD mode. The ESD power clamp further comprises a discharge circuit coupled to the ESD detection circuit that includes a plurality of discharge elements a self-biasing node having a third voltage level during the standby mode. The third voltage level provides a voltage drop across at least one of the discharge elements that is less than the first voltage level. The discharge circuit provides a high-impedance path during the standby mode and a low-impedance path during the ESD mode.

Self-biasing ESD power clamp

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit includes a first ESD detection circuit, a first discharging circuit and a first ESD assist circuit. The first ESD detection circuit is coupled between a first node having a first voltage and a second node having a second voltage. The first discharging circuit includes a first transistor. The first transistor has a first gate, a first drain, a first source and a first body terminal. The first gate is coupled to the first ESD detection circuit by a third node. The first drain is coupled to the first node. The first source and the first body terminal are coupled together at the second node. The first ESD assist circuit is coupled between the second and third node, and configured to clamp a third voltage of the third node at the second voltage during an ESD event at the first or second node.

Electrostatic discharge circuit and method of operating same

A circuit structure is provided. The circuit structure may include a first die area including an output gate, a second die area including a circuit and an input gate and a die-to-die interconnect. The input gate may include a transistor. The circuit may be connected between the die-to-die interconnect and a gate region of the transistor. The circuit may include a MOS transistor. A first source/drain region of the MOS transistor may be connected to the die-to-die interconnect.

Semiconductor and circuit structures, and related methods

The present disclosure provides embodiments of semiconductor devices. A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure include an elongated semiconductor member surrounded by an isolation feature and extending lengthwise along a first direction, a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature over a top surface of the elongated semiconductor member, a vertical stack of channel members each extending lengthwise between the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature along the first direction, a gate structure wrapping around each of the channel members, an epitaxial layer deposited on the bottom surface of the elongated semiconductor member, a silicide layer disposed on the epitaxial layer, and a conductive layer disposed on the silicide layer.

Backside PN junction diode

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus and method for fabricating the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the ESD protection apparatus, comprises: an internal circuit patterned in a device wafer and electrically coupled between a first node and a second node, an array of electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuits patterned in a carrier wafer, where the ESD circuits are electrically coupled between a first node and a second node and configured to protect the internal circuit from transient ESD events, and where the device wafer is bonded to the carrier wafer.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) array with back end of line (BEOL) connection in a carrier wafer

A method includes forming signal lines in a pair of neighboring metal layers of a semiconductor device, and forming first dummy conductive cells in an empty area without metal lines passing therethrough, between the pair of neighboring metal layers. At least two dummy conductive cells of the first dummy conductive cells that are separated from each other, and the at least two dummy conductive cells fully overlap one of the signal lines in plan view.

Semiconductor device including dummy conductive cells

A semiconductor device includes a device wafer having a first side and a second side. The first and second sides are opposite to each other. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of first interconnect structures disposed on the first side of the device wafer. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of second interconnect structures disposed on the second side of the device wafer. The plurality of second interconnect structures comprise a first power rail and a second power rail. The semiconductor device includes a carrier wafer disposed over the plurality of first interconnect structures. The semiconductor device includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit formed over a side of the carrier wafer. The ESD protection circuit is operatively coupled to the first and second power rails.

Electrostatic discharge circuit and method of forming the same

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus and method for fabricating the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the ESD protection apparatus comprises: an internal circuit formed in a first wafer; an array of electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuits formed in a second wafer, wherein the ESD circuits include a plurality of ESD protection devices each coupled to a corresponding switch and configured to protect the internal circuit from a transient ESD event; and a switch controller in the second wafer, wherein the switch controller is configured to control, based on a control signal from the first wafer, each of the plurality of ESD protection devices to be activated or deactivated by the corresponding switch, and wherein the first wafer is bonded to the second wafer.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) array with circuit controlled switches

An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a plurality of TAP cells arranged at intervals in a first direction and a second direction transverse to the first direction. The plurality of TAP cells includes at least one first TAP cell. The first TAP cell includes two first end areas and a first middle area arranged consecutively in the second direction. The first middle area includes a first dopant of a first type implanted in a first well region of the first type. The first end areas are arranged on opposite sides of the first middle area in the second direction. Each of the first end areas includes a second dopant of a second type implanted in the first well region, the second type different from the first type.

Integrated circuit device, method, and system

An ESD clamp circuit has an ESD detection circuit connected between a first terminal and a second terminal, with a first output node and a second output node. The ESD detection circuit is configured to output respective first and second control signals at the first and second output nodes in response to an ESD event. A discharge circuit includes a p-type transistor having a source, a drain and a gate, with the gate connected to the first output node. An n-type transistor has a source, a drain and a gate, with the gate connected to the second output node. The drain is connected to the drain of the p-type transistor. The discharge circuit is configured to establish a first ESD discharge path from the first terminal, through the p-type transistor and the n-type transistor, to the second terminal, and to further establish a second ESD discharge path in parallel with the first ESD discharge path. The second ESD discharge path includes a parasitic silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

ESD clamp circuit for low leakage applications

An ESD protection device includes a PN diode formed in a semiconductor body. The PN diode has a first contact coupled to a metal structure on a front side of the semiconductor body and a second contact coupled to a metal structure on a back side of the semiconductor body. The metal coupled to the first contact is spaced apart from the metal coupled to the second contact by a thickness of the semiconductor body. This spacing greatly reduces the capacitance associated with the metal structures, which can substantially reduce the overall capacitance added to an I/O channel by the ESD protection device and thereby improve the performance of a high-speed circuit that uses the I/O channel.

Dual substrate side ESD diode for high speed circuit

A device includes standard cells in a layout of an integrated circuit. The standard cells include a first standard cell and a second standard cell disposed next to each other. The first standard cell is configured to operate as an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit and includes a first gate and a second gate. The first gate includes a first gate finger and a second gate finger that are arranged over a first active region, for forming a first transistor and a second transistor, respectively. The second gate is separate from the first gate. The second gate includes a third gate finger and a fourth gate finger that are arranged over a second active region, for forming a third transistor and a fourth transistor, respectively. The first transistor and the second transistor are connected in parallel, and the third transistor and the fourth transistor are connected in parallel.

Device including integrated electrostatic discharge protection component

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Wu-Ku, Taiwan

Kuo-Ji Chen