Dishing prevention columns for bipolar junction transistors

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

• a collector region disposed in a semiconductor substrate;
• a base region disposed in the semiconductor substrate and disposed within an outer perimeter of the collector region;
• an emitter region disposed in the semiconductor substrate and disposed within an outer perimeter of the base region;
• a first dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate;
• a second dielectric layer disposed over the first dielectric layer;
• an interconnect structure comprising a plurality of conductive features disposed over the second dielectric layer;
• and
• a plurality of column structures disposed over the semiconductor substrate and in the first dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is disposed between a lowermost conductive feature of the plurality of conductive features and each of the plurality of column structures.

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

• a collector region disposed in a semiconductor substrate;
• a base region disposed in the semiconductor substrate and disposed within an outer perimeter of the collector region;
• an emitter region disposed in the semiconductor substrate and disposed within an outer perimeter of the base region;
• a dielectric layer disposed over an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• a ring-shaped structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate and in the dielectric layer.