US 2009/0020818 A1Published application

Semiconductor diode structures

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorSteven Howard Voldman

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Abstract

A semiconductor structure and a method for operating the same. The method includes providing a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes first, second, third, and fourth doped semiconductor regions. The second doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and third doped semiconductor regions. The fourth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the third doped semiconductor region. The first and second doped semiconductor regions are doped with a first doping polarity. The third and fourth doped semiconductor regions are doped with a second doping polarity. The method further includes (i) electrically coupling the first and fourth doped semiconductor regions to a first node and a second node of the semiconductor structure, respectively, and (ii) electrically charging the first and second nodes to first and second electric potentials, respectively. The first electric potential is different from the second electric potential.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A semiconductor structure, comprising:

(a) a first doped semiconductor region, a second doped semiconductor region, a third doped semiconductor region, and a fourth doped semiconductor region,
wherein the second doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and third doped semiconductor regions,
wherein the fourth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the third doped semiconductor region,
wherein the first and second doped semiconductor regions are doped with a first doping polarity,
wherein the third and fourth doped semiconductor regions are doped with a second doping polarity which is opposite to the first doping polarity,
wherein a first dopant concentration of the first doped semiconductor region is higher than a second dopant concentration of the second doped semiconductor region, and
wherein a fourth dopant concentration of the fourth doped semiconductor region is higher than a third dopant concentration of the third doped semiconductor region;
and
(b) a first node and a second node,
wherein the first and second nodes are electrically coupled to the first and fourth doped semiconductor regions, respectively,
wherein the first node is electrically charged to a first electric potential.
wherein the second node is electrically charged to a second electric potential, and
wherein the first electric potential is different from the second electric potential.

10 more elements

A semiconductor structure operation method, comprising:

providing a semiconductor structure which includes a first doped semiconductor region, a second doped semiconductor region, a third doped semiconductor region, and a fourth doped semiconductor region,
wherein the second doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and third doped semiconductor regions,
wherein the fourth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the third doped semiconductor region,
wherein the first and second doped semiconductor regions are doped with a first doping polarity,
wherein the third and fourth doped semiconductor regions are doped with a second doping polarity which is opposite to the first doping polarity,
wherein a first dopant concentration of the first doped semiconductor region is higher than a second dopant concentration of the second doped semiconductor region, and
wherein a fourth dopant concentration of the fourth doped semiconductor region is higher than a third dopant concentration of the third doped semiconductor region;
electrically coupling the first and fourth doped semiconductor regions to a first node and a second node of the provided semiconductor structure, respectively;
and
electrically charging the first node and the second node to a first electric potential and a second electric potential, respectively,
wherein the first electric potential is different from the second electric potential.

8 more elements

A semiconductor structure operation method, comprising:

providing a semiconductor structure which includes a first doped semiconductor region, a second doped semiconductor region, a third doped semiconductor region, a fourth doped semiconductor region, and a fifth doped semiconductor region,
wherein the second doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and third doped semiconductor regions,
wherein the fourth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the third and fifth doped semiconductor regions,
wherein the first and second doped semiconductor regions are doped with a first doping polarity,
wherein the third, fourth, and fifth doped semiconductor regions are doped with a second doping polarity which is opposite to the first doping polarity,
wherein a first dopant concentration of the first doped semiconductor region is higher than a second dopant concentration of the second doped semiconductor region, and
wherein a fifth dopant concentration of the fifth doped semiconductor region is higher than a fourth dopant concentration of the fourth doped semiconductor region;
electrically coupling the first and fifth doped semiconductor regions to a first node and a second node of the provided semiconductor structure, respectively;
and
electrically charging the first node and the second node to a first electric potential and a second electric potential, respectively,
wherein the first electric potential is different from the second electric potential.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.