Infineon Technologies Ag

Martin Wendel

Kai Esmark

Jens Schneider

Harald Gossner

Martin Streibl

Wolfgang Stadler

Philipp Riess

Kiran V Chatty

Christian Cornelius Russ

Cornelius Christian Russ

Henning Feick

David Alvarez

Thomas Schafbauer

Richard Owen

Xaver Guggenmos

Robert Gauthier

Silke Bargstädt-Franke

The invention relates to an avalanche diode that can be employed as an ESD protection device. An avalanche ignition region is formed at the p-n junction of the diode and includes an enhanced defect concentration level to provide rapid onset of avalanche current. The avalanche ignition region is preferably formed wider than the diode depletion zone, and is preferably created by placement, preferably by ion implantation, of an atomic specie different from that of the principal device structure. The doping concentration of the placed atomic specie should be sufficiently high to ensure substantially immediate onset of avalanche current when the diode breakdown voltage is exceeded. The new atomic specie preferably comprises argon or nitrogen, but other atomic species can be employed. However, other means of increasing a defect concentration level in the diode depletion zone, such as an altered annealing program, are also contemplated.

Avalanche diode having an enhanced defect concentration level and method of making the same

In a method for producing an electronic component, a substrate is doped by introducing doping atoms. In the doped substrate, at least one connection region of the electronic component is formed by doping with doping atoms. Furthermore, at least one additional doped region is formed at least below the at least one connection region by doping with doping atoms. Furthermore, at least one well region is formed in the substrate by doping with doping atoms in such a way that the well region doping is blocked at least below the at least one additional doped region.

Electronic component and a system and method for producing an electronic component

A method for protecting a semiconductor circuit from electrostatic discharge is disclosed. An electrostatic discharge is received at a node. Current created by the electrostatic discharge is directed vertically into a semiconductor body, laterally through the semiconductor and beneath a trench isolation region so that the current flows in a direction parallel to an upper surface of the semiconductor body, and to a reference supply node. The reference supply node being formed in a conductive layer disposed over the upper surface of the semiconductor body.

Methods of use and formation of a lateral bipolar transistor with counter-doped implant regions under collector and/or emitter regions

A semiconductor device () includes a semiconductor body () of a first conductivity type (e.g., p-type). A first doped region () of a second conductivity type (e.g., n-type) is disposed at an upper surface of the semiconductor body (). A second doped region () of the second conductivity type is disposed at the upper surface of the semiconductor body () and is separated from the first doped region () by an isolation region (). A first contact () overlies and is electrically coupled to the first doped region () and a second contact () overlies and is electrically coupled to the second doped region (). A third doped region () of the first conductivity type is disposed within the semiconductor body () beneath the first doped region ().

Lateral bipolar transistor with additional ESD implant

An ESD protection device includes a source region, a channel region adjacent the source region, and an elongated drain region spaced from the source region by the channel region. The elongated drain region includes an unsilicided portion adjacent the channel and a silicided portion spaced from channel region by the unsilicided portion. A first ESD region is located beneath the silicided portion of the elongated drain region and a second ESD region is located beneath the unsilicided portion of the elongated drain region, the second ESD region being spaced from the first ESD region.

ESD protection device and method

A circuit is described that protects an integrated circuit from electrostatic discharges or electrical over-stress. The circuit arrangement has first and second protective elements connected in series between a connection of the integrated circuit and a supply voltage. When electrostatic discharges or electrical over-stress occurs, current flows through the conductive path formed through the first and second protective elements. A current path that contains a circuit element limits current through the first protective element is connected in parallel with the first protective element. The first protective element has blocking behavior when no electrostatic discharges or electrical over-stress occurs, a limited current flows through the current path and the second protective element.

Circuit for protecting integrated circuits against electrostatic discharges

An ESD protective circuit protects an input or output of a monolithically integrated circuit. The ESD protective circuit has at least one bipolar transistor structure and one ESD protective element between two supply networks. The emitter of the bipolar transistor structure is electrically connected to the input or output, while the base is electrically connected to one of the two supply networks. The collector produces a current signal, which is used for triggering of the ESD protective element, when an ESD load occurs at the input or output.

ESD protective circuit with collector-current-controlled triggering for a monolithically integrated circuit

To test the ESD resistance of a semiconductor component, for example of a NOS transistor, which can be used as a PSD protective element in a chip, a direct current characteristic of the semiconductor component is monitored and the ESD resistance of the respective semiconductor component is inferred depending on this. In particular, the direct current failure threshold of the semiconductor component at which an increased leakage current occurs in the non-conducting direction of the semiconductor component can be monitored in operation of the semiconductor component using an applied direct current and the ESD resistance of the semiconductor component inferred depending on a change in this direct current failure threshold.

Method and device for testing the ESD resistance of a semiconductor component

A method for determining an ESD/latch-up strength of an integrated circuit includes producing an integrated circuit and a test structure using the same fabrication process. Electrical parameters at the test structure are measured and characteristic values associated with the integrated circuit are derived from the measured parameter values, wherein the characteristic values characterize an ESD or latch-up characteristic curve associated with the integrated circuit. The method further includes testing whether the characteristic values in each case lie within a predetermined range assigned to them, wherein the ranges are chosen such that a desired ESD/latch-up strength is present if the characteristic values in each case lie within their range.

Method for determining an ESD/latch-up strength of an integrated circuit

The present invention creates an operating method for a semiconductor component having a substrate; having a conductive polysilicon strip which is applied to the substrate; having a first and a second electrical contact which are connected to the conductive polysilicon strip such that this forms an electrical resistance in between them; with the semiconductor component being operated reversibly in a current/voltage range in which it has a first differential resistance (Rdiff) up to a current limit value (It) corresponding to an upper voltage limit value (Vt) and, at current values greater than this, has a second differential resistance (Rdiff), which is less than the first differential resistance (Rdiff).

Operating method for a semiconductor component

The transistor has source and drain diffusion regions between which a gate electrode is disposed. In order to increase the sheet resistance of the source and/or drain diffusion regions, a plurality of strip-shaped insulating zones are provided, which penetrate through the corresponding diffusion region. The zones are oriented perpendicularly to the gate electrode and the end a given spacing distance from the gate electrode.

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Hohenbrunn, Germany

Martin Wendel