Buried Zener diode structure and method of manufacture

A buried Zener diode comprising:

• a P-type semiconductor substrate having an upper surface;
• an N-type buried layer deposited onto the upper surface of the P-type substrate and driven into the P-type substrate to form an NPN buried collector (DUF) having an exposed upper surface, and defining an exposed upper surface associated with the P-type substrate;
• a P-type implant/deposition (PBL) placed within the DUF and having an exposed upper surface, the PBL defining a diode tank, and further defining the exposed upper surface associated with the DUF;
• an epitaxial (EPI) layer having an upper surface, the EPI layer encasing the exposed upper surface of the P-type substrate, the exposed upper surface of the DUF, and the exposed upper surface of the PBL;
• a field oxide encasing the upper surface of the EPI layer and having two voids between the upper surface of the EPI layer and the diode tank defined by the PBL;
• a P+ deposition (ISO) within each void, and that is driven into the diode tank such that the ISO merges with the PBL;
• an NPN base implant/deposition within each void, and that is driven into the ISO to form a NPN transistor base, the NPN base implant/deposition having an exposed upper surface and a doping concentration significantly higher than that of the ISO;
• an N++ emitter diffusion within a predetermined NPN base implant/deposition and having an exposed upper surface within the associated void, the emitter diffusion extending laterally beyond the NPN transistor base and its associated underlying isolation;
• and
• a contact etch applied to the exposed upper surface of the NPN base implant/deposition and the exposed upper surface of the emitter diffusion, wherein the N++ emitter diffusion and the predetermined NPN base implant/deposition define a N++/P+ Zener diode junction that is removed from the exposed upper surface of the N++ emitter diffusion.