Patent ID: 7723792
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A diode comprising: a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, a dopant concentration, a bottom surface, and a top surface; two or more diode regions that include a first diode region and a second diode region, each diode region having a top surface directly touching the semiconductor region, having only a second conductivity type, and being spaced apart from each other diode region, no portion of any diode region laterally surrounding a region of the first conductivity type; a doped region that directly touches the semiconductor region, the doped region having a top surface and the first conductivity type, being spaced apart from each diode region, having a dopant concentration greater than the dopant concentration of the semiconductor region, and being a single continuous region such that a first portion of the doped region completely laterally surrounds the first diode region, a second portion of the doped region completely laterally surrounds the second diode region, and a third portion of the doped region completely laterally surrounds both the first and second diode regions, only one region of the second conductivity type being completely laterally surrounded by the first portion of the doped region, only one region of the second conductivity type being completely laterally surrounded by the second portion of the doped region, only two spaced apart regions of the second conductivity type being completely laterally surrounded by the third portion of the doped region the top surface of the semiconductor region, the top surface of each diode region, and the top surface of the doped region lying in a single plane; and a conductive line electrically connected to each diode region.