The semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, a gate insulating film formed on the first surface, a gate formed on the first surface via the gate insulating film, a source region formed in the first surface side of the semiconductor substrate, a body region formed so as to be in contact with the source region and including a channel region, a drain region formed in the second surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and a drift region formed so as to be in contact with the second surface side of the body region and the first surface side of the drain region. The semiconductor substrate has at least one concave portion formed in the second surface and being recessed toward the first surface.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of first forming an aluminum (Al) pad on a substrate, forming a passivation layer on the substrate and an opening exposing the Al pad, forming a cobalt (Co) layer in the opening and on the Al pad, bonding a wire onto the Co layer, and then performing a thermal treatment process to form a Co—Pd alloy on the Al pad.

A semiconductor element including an array in which a plurality of avalanche photodiodes is arranged includes a plurality of first electrodes configured to receive supply of a first voltage to be used by the plurality of avalanche photodiodes from outside, and at least one second electrode configured to receive supply of a second voltage from outside different from the first voltage. The plurality of first electrodes and the at least one second electrode are disposed outside the array. The at least one second electrode is disposed between one and another one of the plurality of first electrodes.

A semiconductor device with low power consumption is provided. In a cascode circuit including a first transistor provided on a low power supply potential side and a second transistor provided on a high power supply potential side, a source or a drain of a third transistor and a capacitor are connected to a gate of the second transistor. A gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a back gate of the second transistor. An OS transistor is used as the third transistor.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) chip comprising a stilted pad structure. A wire underlies a semiconductor substrate on a frontside of the semiconductor substrate. Further, a trench isolation structure extends into the frontside of the semiconductor substrate. The stilted pad structure is inset into a backside of the semiconductor substrate that is opposite the frontside. The stilted pad structure comprises a pad body and a pad protrusion. The pad protrusion underlies the pad body and protrudes from the pad body, through a portion of the semiconductor substrate and the trench isolation structure, towards the wire. The pad body overlies the portion of the semiconductor substrate and is separated from the trench isolation structure by the portion of the semiconductor substrate.

An integrated circuit has an isolation capacitor structure that reduces the risk of breakdown from high electric fields at the edge of the top metal plate of the capacitor. The capacitor structure includes a bottom metal plate above a substrate. A first dielectric layer of a first dielectric material is formed between the bottom metal plate and the top metal plate. The capacitor structure also includes a thin narrow ring formed of a second dielectric material located under a portion of the top metal plate. The second dielectric material has a higher dielectric constant than the first dielectric material. The thin narrow ring follows the shape of the edge of the top metal plate with a portion of the ring underneath the top metal plate and a portion outside the edge of the top metal plate to thereby be located at a place of the maximum electric field.

A microelectronic device includes a metal layer on a first dielectric layer. An etch stop layer is disposed over the metal layer and on the dielectric layer directly adjacent to the metal layer. The etch stop layer includes a metal oxide, and is less than 10 nanometers thick. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the etch stop layer. The second dielectric layer is removed from an etched region which extends down to the etch stop layer. The etched region extends at least partially over the metal layer. In one version of the microelectronic device, the etch stop layer may extend over the metal layer in the etched region. In another version, the etch stop layer may be removed in the etched region. The microelectronic device is formed by etching the second dielectric layer using a plasma etch process, stopping on the etch stop layer.

Provided is a semiconductor device that includes a cylindrical insulating film, a front surface side pad, a conductor layer, and a back surface side pad. The cylindrical insulating film is configured in a cylindrical shape penetrating a semiconductor substrate. The front surface side pad is formed adjacent to a front surface of the semiconductor substrate inside the cylindrical insulating film. The conductor layer is arranged adjacent to the front surface side pad and an inner side of the cylindrical insulating film after removing the semiconductor substrate inside the cylindrical insulating film adjacent to the front surface side pad. The back surface side pad is arranged on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and is connected to the front surface side pad via the conductor layer.

A semiconductor device has a first semiconductor die including a first protection circuit. A second semiconductor die including a second protection circuit is disposed over the first semiconductor die. A portion of the first semiconductor die and second semiconductor die is removed to reduce die thickness. An interconnect structure is formed to commonly connect the first protection circuit and second protection circuit. A transient condition incident to the interconnect structure is collectively discharged through the first protection circuit and second protection circuit. Any number of semiconductor die with protection circuits can be stacked and interconnected via the interconnect structure to increase the ESD current discharge capability. The die stacking can be achieved by disposing a first semiconductor wafer over a second semiconductor wafer and then singulating the wafers. Alternatively, die-to-wafer or die-to-die assembly is used.

A method for removing devices from a substrate using a supporting plate. One or more bars comprised of semiconductor layers are formed on a substrate, and one or more device structures are formed on the bars. At least one supporting plate is bonded to the bars, and stress is applied to the supporting plate to remove the bars from the substrate. The supporting plate is used to divide the bars into one or more device units after the bars are removed from the substrate, wherein the device units are packaged and arranged into one or more modules. The supporting plate may also be used to make a cleavage facet for one or more of the device structures after the bars are removed from the substrate.