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公开(公告)号:US20250004034A1
公开(公告)日:2025-01-02
申请号:US18734307
申请日:2024-06-05
Inventor: Edward John Coyne , John P. Meskell , Colm Patrick Heffernan , Mark Forde , Shane Geary
IPC: G01R31/26 , H01L27/07 , H01L29/10 , H01L29/735 , H01L29/78
Abstract: The disclosed technology relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor devices including a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor and are configured for accelerating and monitoring degradation of the gate dielectric of the MOS transistor. In one aspect, a semiconductor device configured with gate dielectric monitoring capability comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor including a source, a drain, a gate, and a backgate region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device additionally comprises a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) including a collector, a base, and an emitter formed in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the backgate region of the MOS transistor serves as the base of the BJT and is independently accessible for activating the BJT. The MOS transistor and the BJT are configured to be concurrently activated by biasing the backgate region independently from the source of the MOS transistor, such that the base of the BJT injects carriers of a first charge type into the backgate region of the MOS transistor, where the first charge type is opposite charge type to channel current carriers.
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公开(公告)号:US20240405517A1
公开(公告)日:2024-12-05
申请号:US18679348
申请日:2024-05-30
Inventor: David J. Clarke , Alan J. O'Donnell , Shaun Bradley , Stephen Denis Heffernan , Patrick Martin McGuinness , Padraig L. Fitzgerald , Edward John Coyne , Michael P. Lynch , John Anthony Cleary , John Ross Wallrabenstein , Paul Joseph Maher , Andrew Christopher Linehan , Gavin Patrick Cosgrave , Michael James Twohig , Jan Kubik , Jochen Schmitt , David Aherne , Mary McSherry , Anne M. McMahon , Stanislav Jolondcovschi , Cillian Burke
Abstract: Apparatuses including spark gap structures for electrical overstress (EOS) monitoring or protection, and associated methods, are disclosed. In an aspect, a spark gap array includes a sheet resistor and an array of arcing electrode pairs formed over a substrate. The array of arcing electrode pairs includes first arcing electrodes formed on the sheet resistor and a second arcing electrode arranged as a sheet formed over the first arcing electrodes and separated from the first arcing electrodes by an arcing gap. The first arcing electrodes and second arcing electrode are electrically connected to first and second voltage nodes, respectively, and the arcing electrode pairs are configured to generate arc discharges in response to an EOS voltage signal received between the first and second voltage nodes.
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公开(公告)号:US20230366924A1
公开(公告)日:2023-11-16
申请号:US18318506
申请日:2023-05-16
Inventor: Edward John Coyne , Alan J. O'Donnell , Shaun Bradley , David Aherne , David Boland , Thomas G. O'Dwyer , Colm Patrick Heffernan , Kevin B. Manning , Mark Forde , David J. Clarke , Michael A. Looby
CPC classification number: G01R31/2879 , G01R31/2874 , G01N27/041
Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to integrated circuit devices with wear out monitoring capability. An integrated circuit device includes a wear-out monitor device configured to record an indication of wear-out of a core circuit separated from the wear-out monitor device, wherein the indication is associated with localized diffusion of a diffusant within the wear-out monitor device in response to a wear-out stress that causes the wear-out of the core circuit.
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公开(公告)号:US11355585B2
公开(公告)日:2022-06-07
申请号:US16590142
申请日:2019-10-01
Inventor: Edward John Coyne , Alan Brannick , Shane Tooher , Breandán Pol Og Ó hAnnaidh , Catriona Marie O'Sullivan , Shane Patrick Geary
IPC: H01L29/08 , H01L21/8228 , H01L27/082 , H01L29/40 , H01L29/66 , H01L29/732
Abstract: A charge control structure is provided for a bipolar junction transistor to control the charge distribution in the depletion region extending into the bulk collector region when the collector-base junction is reverse-biased. The charge control structure comprises a lateral field plate above the upper surface of the collector and dielectrically isolated from the upper surface of the collector and a vertical field plate which is at a side of the collector and is dielectrically isolated from the side of the collector. The charge in the depletion region extending into the collector is coupled to the base as well as the field-plates in the charge-control structure, instead of only being coupled to the base of the bipolar junction transistor. In this way, a bipolar junction transistor is provided where the dependence of collector current on the collector-base voltage, also known as Early effect, can be reduced.
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公开(公告)号:US20210396788A1
公开(公告)日:2021-12-23
申请号:US17446945
申请日:2021-09-03
Inventor: David J. Clarke , Stephen Denis Heffernan , Nijun Wei , Alan J. O'Donnell , Patrick Martin McGuinness , Shaun Bradley , Edward John Coyne , David Aherne , David M. Boland
IPC: G01R19/165 , G01R31/00 , G01R31/28 , H02H9/04 , H01L27/02 , H01L23/60 , H01L23/62 , H01L23/525 , H02H9/00
Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to electrical overstress protection devices, and more particularly to electrical overstress monitoring devices for detecting electrical overstress events in semiconductor devices. In one aspect, an electrical overstress monitor and/or protection device includes a two different conductive structures configured to electrically arc in response to an EOS event and a sensing circuit configured to detect a change in a physical property of the two conductive structures caused by the EOS event. The two conductive structures have facing surfaces that have different shapes;
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公开(公告)号:US20210184033A1
公开(公告)日:2021-06-17
申请号:US16952500
申请日:2020-11-19
Inventor: Edward John Coyne , Alan Brannick , John P. Meskell
Abstract: A modified structure of an n-channel lateral double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor is provided to suppress the rupturing of the gate-oxide which can occur during the operation of the LDMOS transistor. The LDMOS transistor comprises a dielectric isolation structure which physically isolates the region comprising a parasitic NPN transistor from the region generating a hole current due to weak-impact ionization, e.g., the extended drain region of the LDMOS transistor. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, this can be achieved using a vertical trench between the two regions. Further embodiments are also proposed to enable a reduction in the gain of the parasitic NPN transistor and in the backgate resistance in order to further improve the robustness of the LDMOS transistor.
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公开(公告)号:US11668734B2
公开(公告)日:2023-06-06
申请号:US17446945
申请日:2021-09-03
Inventor: David J. Clarke , Stephen Denis Heffernan , Nijun Wei , Alan J. O'Donnell , Patrick Martin McGuinness , Shaun Bradley , Edward John Coyne , David Aherne , David M. Boland
IPC: G01R19/165 , G01R31/00 , G01R31/28 , H02H9/04 , H01L27/02 , H01L23/60 , H01L23/62 , H01L23/525 , H02H9/00
CPC classification number: G01R19/16504 , G01R31/002 , G01R31/2832 , G01R31/2856 , H01L23/5256 , H01L23/60 , H01L23/62 , H01L27/0288 , H02H9/00 , H02H9/042
Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to electrical overstress protection devices, and more particularly to electrical overstress monitoring devices for detecting electrical overstress events in semiconductor devices. In one aspect, an electrical overstress monitor and/or protection device includes a two different conductive structures configured to electrically arc in response to an EOS event and a sensing circuit configured to detect a change in a physical property of the two conductive structures caused by the EOS event. The two conductive structures have facing surfaces that have different shapes.
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公开(公告)号:US11112436B2
公开(公告)日:2021-09-07
申请号:US16360356
申请日:2019-03-21
Inventor: David J. Clarke , Stephen Denis Heffernan , Nijun Wei , Alan J. O'Donnell , Patrick Martin McGuinness , Shaun Bradley , Edward John Coyne , David Aherne , David M. Boland
IPC: G01R19/165 , G01R31/00 , G01R31/28 , H02H9/04 , H01L27/02 , H01L23/60 , H01L23/62 , H01L23/525 , H02H9/00
Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to electrical overstress protection devices, and more particularly to electrical overstress monitoring devices for detecting electrical overstress events in semiconductor devices. In one aspect, an electrical overstress monitor and/or protection device includes a two different conductive structures configured to electrically arc in response to an EOS event and a sensing circuit configured to detect a change in a physical property of the two conductive structures caused by the EOS event. The two conductive structures have facing surfaces that have different shapes.
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公开(公告)号:US11024525B2
公开(公告)日:2021-06-01
申请号:US16005499
申请日:2018-06-11
Inventor: Edward John Coyne
Abstract: A temperature shock monitor includes a solvent material and a diffusion material. An energy barrier between the solvent material and the diffusion material is selected to be lower than is would conventionally be used in semiconductor devices such that the diffusion material diffuses into the solvent material when exposed to a temperature above a designated temperature threshold. At a later time, electrical parameters of the temperature shock monitor that change based on the amount of diffusion of the diffusion material into the solvent material allows one to determine whether the temperature shock monitor was exposed to a temperature above the temperature threshold.
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公开(公告)号:US20210072304A1
公开(公告)日:2021-03-11
申请号:US16996458
申请日:2020-08-18
Inventor: Edward John Coyne , John P. Meskell , Colm Patrick Heffernan , Mark Forde , Shane Geary
IPC: G01R31/26 , H01L27/07 , H01L29/735 , H01L29/10 , H01L29/78
Abstract: The disclosed technology relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor devices including a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor and are configured for accelerating and monitoring degradation of the gate dielectric of the MOS transistor. In one aspect, a semiconductor device configured with gate dielectric monitoring capability comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor including a source, a drain, a gate, and a backgate region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device additionally comprises a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) including a collector, a base, and an emitter formed in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the backgate region of the MOS transistor serves as the base of the BJT and is independently accessible for activating the BJT. The MOS transistor and the BJT are configured to be concurrently activated by biasing the backgate region independently from the source of the MOS transistor, such that the base of the BJT injects carriers of a first charge type into the backgate region of the MOS transistor, where the first charge type is opposite charge type to channel current carriers.
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