Patent ID: 7709924

Claim:
A semiconductor structure, comprising: (a) a substrate comprising a first doped semiconductor region, a second doped semiconductor region, a third doped semiconductor region, a fourth doped semiconductor region, and a fifth doped semiconductor region, wherein the second doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and third doped semiconductor regions, wherein the fourth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the third doped semiconductor region, wherein the fifth doped semiconductor region is in direct physical contact with the first and second doped semiconductor regions, wherein a top surface of the substrate is an uppermost bounding surface of the substrate, wherein a top surface of the second doped semiconductor region, a top surface of the third doped semiconductor region, a top surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region, and the top surface of the substrate are coplanar, wherein a top surface of the first doped semiconductor region is parallel to and above a bottom surface of the first doped semiconductor region, wherein the top surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region is parallel to and above a bottom surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region, wherein the top surface of the first doped semiconductor region is below the top surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region and above the bottom surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region, wherein the bottom surface of the first doped semiconductor region is below the bottom surface of the fifth doped semiconductor region, wherein the first and second doped semiconductor regions are doped with a first doping polarity, wherein the third, fourth, and fifth doped semiconductor regions are doped with a second doping polarity which is opposite to the first doping polarity, wherein a first dopant concentration of the first doped semiconductor region is higher than a second dopant concentration of the second doped semiconductor region, and wherein a fourth dopant concentration of the fourth doped semiconductor region is higher than a third dopant concentration of the third doped semiconductor region; and (b) a first node and a second node, wherein the first and second nodes are electrically coupled to the first and fourth doped semiconductor regions, respectively, wherein the first node is configured to be electrically charged to a first electric potential, and wherein the second node is configured to be electrically charged to a second electric potential that differs from the first electric potential.