Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation

Li-Fan Chen

Wing-Chor Chan

Shao-Chang Huang

Chun-Chih Chen

Ching-Ho Li

Gong-Kai Lin

Kai-Chieh Hsu

Ting-You Lin

Yeh-Ning Jou

Chih-Hsuan Lin

Jeng Gong

Yu-Kai Wang

Chien-Wei Wang

Chien-Chih Chen

Shyi-Yuan Wu

Cheng-Chi Lin

Chen-Yuan Lin

Chien-Hsien Song

Chieh-Yao Chuang

Hsiao-Ying Yang

Jung-Tsun Chuang

Hung-Wei Chen

Chih-Min Hu

Ching-Wen Wang

Fu-Chun Tseng

Shin-Chin Lien

Chien-Chi Hsu

A level shifter includes a level shifting circuit and a voltage tracking circuit. The level shifting circuit receives an input signal through an input terminal and converts the input signal from a first power domain to a second power domain to generate an output signal at an output terminal. The voltage tracking circuit is coupled to first and second voltage terminals, and tracks one with a lower level among voltages of the first and second voltage terminals to generate a control voltage. The level shifting circuit includes first and second N-type transistors. The first N-type transistor has a gate coupled to the input terminal, a drain coupled to a first node, and a source coupled to a ground. The second N-type transistor has a gate receiving the control voltage, a drain coupled to the output terminal at a second node, and a source coupled to the input terminal.

Level shifter

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 gate electrode, an insulating layer, a field plate, and a tunable circuit is provided. The first and second wells are formed on the substrate. The first doped region is formed in the first well. The second doped region is formed in the second well. The gate electrode is disposed over the substrate. The gate electrode, the first doped region, and the second doped region constitute a transistor. The insulating layer is disposed on the substrate and overlaps the gate electrode. The field plate overlaps the insulating layer and the gate electrode. The tunable circuit provides either a first short-circuit path between the field plate and the gate electrode, or a second short-circuit path between the field plate and the first doped region.

Semiconductor structure and operation circuit

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

An ESD protection circuit, which protects a subject NMOS transistor coupled between an I/O pad and a ground, includes a first discharge device arranged between the I/O pad and the ground, having a trigger-on voltage that is lower than a breakdown voltage of the subject NMOS transistor; and a gate voltage control device, including a discharge NMOS transistor coupled to the ground and a gate of the subject NMOS transistor; a first PMOS transistor connected to the gate of the subject NMOS transistor and a connection node; and a first NMOS transistor connected to the connection node and the ground. The connection node is connected to the gate of the discharge NMOS transistor, and the gate of the first PMOS transistor and the gate of the first NMOS transistor are connected to each other.

Electrostatic discharge protection circuit

A bipolar junction transistor and an operating method and a manufacturing method for the same are provided. The bipolar junction transistor comprises a first doped region, a second doped region and a third doped region. The first doped region has a first type conductivity. The second doped region comprises well regions formed in the first doped region, having a second type conductivity opposite to the first type conductivity, and separated from each other by the first doped region. The third doped region has the first type conductivity. The third doped region is formed in the well regions or in the first doped region between the well regions.

Bipolar junction transistor and operating and manufacturing method for the same

A semiconductor structure comprising a substrate, an active device, a field oxide layer and a poly-silicon resistor is disclosed. The active device is formed in a surface area of the substrate. The active device has a first doped area, a second doped area and a third doped area. The second doped area is disposed on the first doped area. The first doped area is between the second and the third doped areas. The first doped area has a first type conductivity. The third doped area has a second type conductivity. The first and the second type conductivities are different. The field oxide layer is disposed on a part of the third doped area. The poly-silicon resistor is disposed on the field oxide layer and is electrically connected to the third doped area.

Methods for manufacturing and manipulating semiconductor structure having active device

A semiconductor device, a start-up circuit, and an operating method for the same are provided. The start-up circuit comprises a semiconductor unit, a first circuit, a second circuit, a voltage input terminal and a voltage output terminal. The first circuit is constituted by one diode or a plurality of diodes electrically connected to each other in series. The second circuit is constituted by one diode or a plurality of diodes electrically connected to each other in series. The semiconductor unit is coupled to a first node between the first circuit and the second circuit. The voltage input terminal is coupled to the semiconductor unit. The voltage output terminal is coupled to a second node between the semiconductor unit and the first circuit.

Semiconductor device, start-up circuit having first and second circuits and a single voltage output terminal coupled to a second node between the semiconductor unit and the first circuit, and operating method for the same

A high voltage junction field effect transistor and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The high voltage junction field effect transistor includes a base, a drain, a source and a P type top layer. The drain and the source are disposed above the base. A channel is formed between the source and the drain. The P type top layer is disposed above the channel.

High voltage junction field effect transistor and manufacturing method thereof

A semiconductor device comprising a high-voltage (HV) n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) embedded HV junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) is provided. An HV NMOS with embedded HV JFET may include, according to a first example embodiment, a substrate, an N-type well region disposed adjacent to the substrate, a P-type well region disposed adjacent to the N-type well region, and first and second N+ doped regions disposed adjacent to the N-type well and on opposing sides of the P-type well region. The P-type well region may comprise a P+ doped region, a third N+ doped region and a gate structure, the third N+ doped region being interposed between the P+ doped region and the gate structure.

N-channel metal-oxide field effect transistor with embedded high voltage junction gate field-effect transistor

Semiconductor structure having an active device and method for manufacturing and manipulating the same

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a first doped region and a semiconductor region. The first doped region has a first type conductivity. The semiconductor region is in the first doped region. A source electrode and a drain electrode are respectively electrically connected to parts of the first doped region on opposite sides of the semiconductor region.

Semiconductor structure and method for forming the same

A semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first doped region and a second doped region. The first doped region comprises a first contact region. The first doped region and the first contact region have a first type conductivity. The second doped region comprises a second contact region. The second doped region and the second contact region have a second type conductivity opposite to the first type conductivity. The first doped region is adjacent to the second doped region.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Li-Fan Chen