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High voltage power integrated circuit with level shift operation and without metal crossover

  • US 5,801,418 A
  • Filed: 02/03/1997
  • Issued: 09/01/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A level shift device for electrically coupling a floating voltage circuit with a relatively lower voltage circuit each formed on a common substrate of semiconductor material with said level shift circuit, said level shift circuit comprising:

  • a layer of semiconductor material disposed atop said substrate, said semiconductor material being of a first conductivity type and being lightly doped and having an upper surface;

    a base region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of said first conductivity type and extending into the upper surface of said layer of semiconductor material to a given depth;

    a source region of said first conductivity type formed in said base region and defining a surface channel region between said source region and said layer of semiconductor material;

    a source electrode connected to said source region and electrically coupled to said lower voltage circuit;

    a gate insulation layer disposed over said channel region;

    a conductive gate layer disposed over said gate insulation layer;

    a drain contact diffusion region of said first conductivity type formed in said upper surface of said layer of semiconductor material and being laterally spaced away from said base region;

    a drain electrode connected to said drain contact diffusion region;

    a further diffusion region of said first conductivity type formed in said upper surface of said layer of semiconductor material and being laterally spaced away from said drain region and further away from said base region, the portion of said layer of semiconductor material located between said drain contact diffusion region and said further diffusion region defining a conduction region;

    an insulating layer formed atop said upper surface of said layer of semiconductor material and between said drain region and said further diffusion region;

    a contact electrode disposed atop said further diffusion region and electrically coupled to said floating voltage circuit; and

    a conducting resistor layer disposed over said insulating layer between said drain electrode and said contact electrode, thereby defining a resistor that is arranged electrically parallel with said conduction region of said layer of semiconductor material;

    the resistance of said conduction region being greater than the resistance of said conductive resistor layer.

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