Low Voltage Power Supply

• US 20110163351A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
• Original Assignee: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
• Inventors: CHEN, Xingbi
• Granted Patent: US 8,294,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/133
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/088 the components being field-effect transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0615 by the doping profile or the shape or the arrangement of the PN junction, or with supplementary regions, e.g. junction termination extension [JTE] LDD or drain offset regions H01L29/7833
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0638 for preventing surface leakage due to surface inversion layer, e.g. with channel stopper channel stoppers in combination with isolation region for integrated circuits H01L21/762
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66 Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7803 structurally associated with at least one other device assemblies H01L25/00; integrated circuits H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters

Abstract

This invention provides a structure for low-voltage power supply in high-voltage devices or IC'"'"'s made on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. The structure comprises a heavily doped semiconductor region of the first conductivity type between, but not contacted with, two semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type. When the two semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type have reverse-biased voltage with respect to substrate, the depletion region of substrate reaches the heavily doped semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, the heavily doped semiconductor region of the first conductivity type constructs a terminal of low-voltage power supply and any one of the semiconductor region of the second conductivity type constructs another terminal. The heavily doped semiconductor region is used as one terminal of a primary low-voltage power supply and any other region is used as another terminal of it. Thus, the cost of a low-voltage power supply can be reduced and the electrical performances be improved.

Claims

1. A low-voltage power supply, wherein

said low-voltage power supply comprising:

a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type;

at least two semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type underneath a first main surface;

a heavily doped semiconductor region of said first conductivity type between said two semiconductor regions of said second conductivity type being not directly contacted with said two semiconductor regions of said second conductivity type;

when said two semiconductor regions of said second conductivity type have reverse-biased voltage with respect to said substrate, and the depletion region of said substrate reaches said heavily doped semiconductor region of said first conductivity type, said heavily doped semiconductor region of said first conductivity type has a neutral region, called as clamped region, to form a terminal of said low-voltage power supply;

the potential of said clamped region is different from any neutral region in said two semiconductor regions of said second conductivity type, and also different from said neutral region of substrate;

said any neutral region can form another terminal of said low-voltage power supply according to requirements;

said semiconductor substrate of said first conductivity type is contacted or not contacted to a heavily doped semiconductor layer of said first conductivity type on a second main surface.

2. A low-voltage power supply according to claim 1, wherein two terminals of said low-voltage power supply are the two terminals of a primary power supply;

said two terminals of said primary power supply are connected to two input terminals of a low-voltage circuit, and two output terminals of said low-voltage circuit are used as secondary low-voltage power supply.