Patent ID: 7538407
Filing Date: 2009-05-26
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor apparatus containing a lower potential reference circuit region and a higher potential reference circuit region between which signals are transmitted, the signals at the lower potential reference circuit region having a potential lower than the signals at the higher potential reference circuit region, the semiconductor apparatus comprising: a substrate region; an epitaxial layer provided on the substrate region; a high withstand voltage separating region formed in the epitaxial layer, which is arranged between the low and high potential reference circuit regions separating the lower potential reference circuit region from the higher potential reference circuit region; a relay semiconductor device, formed in a doped region of the high withstand voltage separating region in the epitaxial layer, for transmitting a signal from one of the low and high potential reference circuit regions to the other of them, wherein the potential at the lower potential reference circuit region is lower than the potential at the higher potential reference circuit region; and an insulating partition arranged between the relay semiconductor device and one of the low and high potential reference circuit regions that is at an output of the relay semiconductor device, the insulating partition being filled with insulating material in a trench extending to the substrate region and partitioning the epitaxial layer to separate the relay semiconductor device from the low potential reference circuit and the high potential reference circuit, wherein output wiring of the relay semiconductor device is wired to an output of at least one of the low and high potential reference circuit regions bridging over the insulating partition.