Semiconductor integrated circuit and system LSI including the same

• US 8,102,024 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Usami, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mandala, Victor A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harriston, William
• Application Number:
  US12/883,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 257/499
• US Class Current: 257/546
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/417 carrying the current to be rectified, amplified or switched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8611 Planar PN junction diodes

Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit having a diode element includes a diffusion layer which constitutes the anode and two diffusion layers which are provided on the left and right sides of the anode and which constitute the cathode, such that the anode and the cathode constitute the diode. A well contact is provided to surround both the diffusion layers of the anode and cathode. Distance tS between a longer side of the well contact and the diffusion layers of the cathode is shorter, while distance tL between a shorter side of the well contact and the diffusion layers of the anode and cathode is longer (tL>tS). Accordingly, the resistance value between the diffusion layer of the anode and the shorter side of the well contact is larger, so that the current from the diffusion layer of the anode is unlikely to flow toward the shorter side of the well contact. Thus, convergence of the current at the contact holes of the diffusion layer of the anode is reduced, so that the reliability of the diode element improves.

Claims

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a diode including a first polarity-type diffusion layer which constitutes an anode of the diode and a second polarity-type diffusion layer which faces the first polarity-type diffusion layer and which constitutes a cathode of the diode; and

a second polarity-type substrate or well contact which shares a diffusion layer with the second polarity-type diffusion layer constituting the cathode of the diode and which surrounds four sides of the diode, wherein;

each of the first polarity-type diffusion layer and second polarity-type diffusion layer of the diode and the substrate or well contact has a plurality of contact holes for electrical connection with an external device,

a portion of the substrate or well contact extending parallel to a direction in which the first polarity-type diffusion layer and the second polarity-type diffusion layer face each other has a greater separation from the first polarity-type diffusion layer or second polarity-type diffusion layer of the diode than a portion of the substrate or well contact extending perpendicular to the facing direction of the diffusion layers, and

the substrate or well contact has the plurality of contact holes only in a portion extending perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarity-type diffusion layer and the second polarity-type diffusion layer face each other.

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the number of contact holes formed in the first polarity-type diffusion layer which constitutes the anode of the diode is equal to the number of contact holes formed in the second polarity-type diffusion layer which shares a diffusion layer with the second polarity-type substrate or well contact and which constitutes the cathode of the diode.

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first polarity-type diffusion layer which constitutes the anode of the diode and the second polarity-type diffusion layer which constitutes the cathode of the diode have the shape of a rectangular strip.

4. A system LSI, comprising:

a digital circuit and an analog circuit which operate on separate power supplies; and

a single unit of protection device formed by two semiconductor integrated circuits of claim 1 and provided between the digital circuit and the analog circuit for allowing electrostatic discharge from the digital circuit to the analog circuit and electrostatic discharge from the analog circuit to the digital circuit.

5. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a first polarity-type diffusion layer having a first polarity-type diode region; and

a second polarity-type diffusion layer having a second polarity-type diode region and a contact region, wherein;

the first polarity-type diode region and the second polarity-type diode region constitute a diode,

the second polarity-type diode region is disposed next to the first polarity-type diode region in a first direction in a plan view,

the contact region surrounds, in a plan view, four sides of the diode including the first polarity-type diode region and the second polarity-type diode region,

the contact region has a first contact region facing a side of the first polarity-type diode region, the side extending along the first direction, and a second contact region extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view,

each of the first polarity-type diode region and the second polarity-type diode region has a plurality of contact holes for electrical connection with an external device, and

the second contact region extending along the second direction of the contact region has a plurality of contact holes and the first contact region facing the side of the first polarity-type diode region has no contact hole, in a plan view.

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the first polarity-type diffusion layer constitutes an anode of the diode and has a rectangular stripe.

7. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the second polarity-type diffusion layer constitutes a cathode of the diode and is provided on both left and right sides of the first polarity-type diffusion layer which constitute an anode of the diode in a plan view.

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7, the second polarity-type diffusion layer disposed on the left side of the first polarity-type diffusion layer and the second polarity-type diffusion layer disposed on the right side of the first polarity-type diffusion layer are connected via the first contact region.

9. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the second polarity-type diffusion layer includes two second polarity-type diffusion layers which sandwich the first polarity-type diffusion layer in a plan view.

10. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 9, the two second polarity-type diffusion layers are connected via the first contact region.

11. A system LSI, comprising:

a digital circuit and an analog circuit which operate on separate power supplies; and

a single unit of protection device formed by two semiconductor integrated circuits, each according to claim 5, and provided between the digital circuit and the analog circuit for allowing electrostatic discharge from the digital circuit to the analog circuit and electrostatic charge from the analog circuit to the digital circuit.

12. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a first polarity-type diffusion region having a plurality of first contact holes; and

two second polarity-type diffusion regions having a plurality of second contact holes, wherein;

the two second polarity-type diffusion regions sandwich the first polarity-type diffusion region, in a plan view, in a first direction,

a length of the second polarity-type diffusion regions in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is longer than a length of the first polarity-type diffusion region in the second direction,

the two second polarity-type diffusion regions are connected by a connection region having no contact hole.

13. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the connection region has no contact hole at a portion facing the first polarity-type diffusion region.

14. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the first polarity-type diffusion region constitutes an anode of a diode and has a rectangular stripe.

15. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 14, wherein the second polarity-type diffusion regions constitute an cathode of the diode.

16. A system LSI, comprising:

a digital circuit and an analog circuit which operate on separate power supplies; and

a single unit of protection device formed by two semiconductor integrated circuits, each according to claim 12, and provided between the digital circuit and the analog circuit for allowing electrostatic discharge from the digital circuit to the analog circuit and electrostatic charge from the analog circuit to the digital circuit.