Texas Instruments Corporation

Ted Houston

Mishel Matloubian

Larry R Hite

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a method and structure for actively controlling the voltage applied to the channel of field effect transistors. In the described embodiments, a transistor connected to the channel region is fabricated. The channel transistor has opposite conductivity type to the transistor using the main channel region. The source of the channel transistor is connected to the channel and the drain of the channel transistor is connected to a reference voltage. The same gate is used to control the channel transistor and the main transistor. When a voltage which causes the main transistor to be on is applied, the channel transistor is off, thus allowing the channel to float and allowing higher drive current. On the other hand, when a voltage to turn off the main transistor is applied, the channel transistor is turned on, thus clamping the channel region to the reference voltage. This allows for consistent threshold voltage control of the main transistor.

Semiconductor on insulator transistor

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor on insulator structure providing a semiconductor layer less susceptible to single event upset errors (SEU) due to radiation. The semiconductor layer is formed by implanting ions which form an insulating layer beneath the surface of a crystalline semiconductor substrate. The remaining crystalline semiconductor layer above the insulating layer provides nucleation sites for forming a crystalline semiconductor layer above the insulating layer. The damage caused by implantation of the ions for forming an insulating layer is left unannealed before formation of the semiconductor layer by epitaxial growth. The epitaxial layer, thus formed, provides superior characteristics for prevention of SEU errors, in that the carrier lifetime within the epitaxial layer, thus formed, is less than the carrier lifetime in epitaxial layers formed on annealed material while providing adequate semiconductor characteristics.

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Richardson, TX, United States of America

Ted Houston