Semiconductor device

Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided which includes a diode formed of a MISFET and having a current-voltage characteristic close to that of an ideal diode. Negatively charged particles (e.g. electrons: 8a) are trapped on the drain region (2) side of a silicon nitride film (4b) sandwiched between films of silicon oxide (4a, 4c). When a bias voltage is applied between the drain and source with the negatively charged particles (8a) thus trapped and in-channel charged particles (9a) induced by them, the MISFET exhibits different threshold values for channel formation depending on whether it is a forward bias or a reverse bias. That is to say, when a reverse bias is applied, the channel forms insufficiently and the source-drain current is less likely to flow, while the channel forms sufficiently and a large source-drain current flows when a forward bias is applied. This offers a current-voltage characteristic close to that of the ideal diode.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.