Semiconductor component having an esd protection device

Abstract

A semiconductor component and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component, wherein the semiconductor component includes a transient voltage suppression structure that includes at least two diodes and a Zener diode. In accordance with embodiments, a semiconductor material is provided that includes an epitaxial layer. The at least two diodes and the Zener diode are created at the surface of the epitaxial layer, where the at least two diodes may be adjacent to the Zener diode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor component, comprising:
 a semiconductor material having first and second surfaces; and   a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a radial array on the first surface, wherein each electrical conductor has first and second ends, the first ends of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors proximal to the first doped region and the second ends of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors distal from the first doped region, the plurality of electrical conductors including at least first, second, and third electrical conductors, wherein the second electrical conductor is between the first and third electrical conductors, and wherein a distance between the first ends of the first and second electrical conductors is substantially the same as a distance between the first ends of the second and third electrical conductors.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor component of  claim 1 , further including an electrically conductive material in contact with the second surface. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical conductors arranged in the radial array is arranged an array pattern selected from the group of array patterns comprising an array pattern of a quarter circle, an array pattern of an ellipse, an array pattern of a circle, and an array pattern of a rectangle. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor component of  claim 1 , further including:
 a first isolation structure in a third portion of the semiconductor material, wherein the first isolation structure extends from a third portion of the first surface into the third portion of the semiconductor material;   a second isolation structure in a fourth portion of the semiconductor material, wherein the second isolation structure extends from a fourth portion of the first surface into the fourth portion of the semiconductor material; and   a third isolation structure in a fifth portion of the semiconductor material, wherein the third isolation structure extends from the a fifth portion of the first surface into the fifth portion of the semiconductor material.   
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor component of  claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises a first buried layer formed on a first portion of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type formed on the first buried layer, and wherein the first isolation structure comprises a first doped region of the first conductivity type that extends through a first portion of the epitaxial layer to the first buried layer. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor component of  claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor material further comprises a second buried layer formed on a second portion of a semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type formed on the second buried layer, and wherein the second isolation structure comprises a second doped region of the second conductivity type that extends through a second portion of the epitaxial layer to the second buried layer. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor component of  claim 6 , further including a first diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the first diode formed from a third portion of the epitaxial layer, the third portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent the first isolation structure. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor component of  claim 7 , further including a second diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the second diode formed from a fourth portion of the epitaxial layer, the fourth portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent the second isolation structure. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor component of  claim 8 , wherein
 the first isolation structure has an annular shape and is around the third portion of the epitaxial layer;   the second isolation structure has an annular shape and is around the fourth portion of the epitaxial layer; and further including a Zener diode.   
     
     
         10 . A semiconductor component, comprising
 a semiconductor material having first and second surfaces;   a first isolation structure in a first portion of the semiconductor material, the first isolation structure extending from the first surface into the first portion of the semiconductor material;   a second isolation structure in a second portion of the semiconductor material, the second isolation structure extending from the first surface into the second portion of the semiconductor material;   a first diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the first diode formed from a third portion of the semiconductor material, the third portion of the semiconductor material adjacent the first isolation structure;   a second diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the second diode formed from a fourth portion of the semiconductor material, the fourth portion of the semiconductor material adjacent the second isolation structure;   a Zener diode having an anode and a cathode formed from a fifth portion of the semiconductor material; and   a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a radial array on the first surface, wherein each electrical conductor has first and second ends, the first ends of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors proximal to the cathode of the first diode and the second ends of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors distal from cathode of the first diode and proximal to the anode of the second diode, the plurality of electrical conductors including at least first, second, and third electrical conductors, wherein the second electrical conductor is between the first and third electrical conductors.   
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor component of  claim 10 , wherein the radial array comprises an array pattern selected from the group of array patterns comprising circular, elliptical, and rectangular. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor component of  claim 10 , wherein
 the semiconductor material comprises a first buried layer formed on a first portion of the semiconductor substrate and an epitaxial layer formed on the first buried layer; and   the first isolation structure extends through a first portion of the epitaxial layer to the first buried layer.   
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor component of  claim 12 , further including a second buried layer formed on a second portion of the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer formed on the second buried layer, the second buried layer of opposite conductivity type to the first buried layer;
 the second isolation structure extends through a second portion of the epitaxial layer to the second buried layer; and   a first doped region in a third portion of the epitaxial layer, wherein the first doped region serves as an anode of the second diode.   
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor component of  claim 13 , further including a third isolation structure extending through a third portion of the epitaxial layer to a third portion of the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the Zener diode comprises a third doped region of the first conductivity type formed in a fourth portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent the third isolation structure, the fourth doped region of the first conductivity type serving as the cathode of the Zener diode and the portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent the third isolation structure serving as the anode of the Zener diode. 
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor component of  claim 14 , wherein the first buried layer and the first isolation structure have annular shapes. 
     
     
         16 . A semiconductor component comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type;   an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate, the epitaxial layer having a first surface;   a first buried layer of the first conductivity type between a first portion of the semiconductor substrate and a first portion of the epitaxial layer;   a first isolation structure extending from a first portion of the first surface to the first buried layer;   a first diode formed from a third portion of the epitaxial layer, wherein a cathode of the first diode is laterally adjacent the first isolation structure;   a second diode formed from a fourth portion of the epitaxial layer; and   a Zener diode formed from the fifth portion of the epitaxial layer.   
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor component of  claim 16 , further including:
 a second buried layer of the second conductivity type between a second portion of the semiconductor substrate and a sixth portion of the epitaxial layer; and   a second isolation structure extending from a second portion of the first surface to the second buried layer, wherein a cathode of the second diode is laterally adjacent the second isolation structure.   
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor component of  claim 17 , wherein
 the first isolation structure comprises a first dopant region of the first conductivity type extending from the first portion of the first surface of the epitaxial layer to the first buried layer;   the second isolation structure comprises a second dopant region of the second conductivity type extending from the second portion of the first surface of the epitaxial layer to the second buried layer; and further including   a third dopant region of the first conductivity type extending into the cathode of the second diode.   
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor component of  claim 18 , further including a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a radial array on the first surface, wherein each electrical conductor has first and second ends, the first end of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors proximal to the cathode of the first diode and the second end of each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors distal from cathode of the first diode and proximal to the anode of the second diode, the plurality of conductors including at least first, second, an third electrical conductors, wherein the second electrical conductor is between the first and third electrical conductors. 
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor component of  claim 19 , wherein the Zener diode is a surface Zener diode and wherein the radial array comprises an array pattern selected from the group of array patterns comprising circular, elliptical, and rectangular.