Transistors having dynamically adjustable characteristics

A transistor having dynamically adjustable characteristics, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a doped region forming a well therein;
• a Y-shaped gate electrode formed over the doped region defining a first main transistor in the doped region and a second control transistor in the doped region, the first and second transistors having the Y-shaped gate electrode as a common gate electrode, the first transistor having a first source, the second transistor having a second source, the first and second transistors having a common drain, the first main transistor having a drive current;
• and,
• whereby the drive current of the first main transistor may be dynamically varied by changing a source-to-drain voltage applied to the second control transistor.

A device having dynamically adjustable characteristics, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a tri-ister structure fabricated thereon;
• the tri-ister structure including a Y-shaped gate electrode formed over a doped region defining a first main transistor in the doped region and a second control transistor in the doped region, the first and second transistors having the Y-shaped gate electrode as a common gate electrode, the first transistor having a first source, the second transistor having a second source, the first and second transistors having a common drain, the first main transistor having a drive current;
• and,
• whereby the drive current of the first main transistor may be dynamically varied by changing a source-to-drain voltage applied to the second control transistor.

A transistor structure, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a doped region;
• a generally Y-shaped gate electrode which is formed over and divides the doped region into a source region, a drain region and a control region;
• and
• control means for controlling a characteristic of current flow between the source region and the drain region by applying a corresponding control voltage to the control region.

A method of controlling a transistor structure, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a transistor structure as including a semiconductor substrate having a doped region;
• and a generally Y-shaped gate electrode which is formed over and divides the doped region into a source region, a drain region and a control region;
• and
• (b) controlling a characteristic of current flow between the source region and the drain region by applying a corresponding control voltage to the control region.

An electronic system comprising a microelectronic structure including a semiconductor substrate having a transistor formed thereon, and additional electronic devices that are operatively connected to the microelectronic structure, the transistor comprising:

• a doped region formed on the substrate;
• a generally Y-shaped gate electrode which is formed over and divides the doped region into a source region, a drain region and a control region;
• and
• control means for controlling a characteristic of current flow between the source region and the drain region by applying a corresponding control voltage to the control region.