Semiconductor device for detecting one or more environmental conditions

Abstract

The invention relates to a semiconductor device for detecting one or more environmental conditions. A semiconductor device may include an ion reservoir and one or more channel regions. Further, the semiconductor device may include one or more diffusion control devices that control the flow of ions from the reservoir to the one or more channel regions. The presence of ions in one or more channel regions may be detected and used to determine that the semiconductor device has experienced one or more events.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This document relates generally, but is not limited to, apparatus and methods related to detecting the occurrence of conditions using semiconductor devices. Background Art

[0002] Sensors can be used to detect whether a given condition is occurring in an environment. The environment can include the surrounding environment, one or more machines, one or more computing devices, one or more vehicles, or an organic environment such as a human or other living being. Sensors typically record conditions that exist in the environment, and the information recorded by the sensor is later accessed by a user. The operating conditions of the computing device, machinery, or vehicle can be identified and / or adjusted based on the information generated by the sensor. In addition, the information generated by the sensor can be used to control the operation of medical equipment, ensure the safety of the environment, and indicate whether conditions in a procedure have been completed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The semiconductor device can detect whether one or more conditions have occurred. The semiconductor device can include an ion reservoir. In various examples, the ions can be ions of one or more metals. In addition, the semiconductor device can include multiple metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices to control the diffusion of metal ions from the reservoir to one or more channel regions of the multiple MOS devices.

[0004] In addition, the semiconductor device may include an ion reservoir having an outer shell and an inner region. The ions may be arranged in the inner region, and the outer shell may contain one or more metals. In addition, the semiconductor device may include: one or more silicon oxide regions, arranged adjacent to the ion reservoir; and one or more channel regions, arranged below the reservoir and below the one or more silicon oxide regions. The one or more channel regions may include one or more materials containing metal oxides. The semiconductor device may also include an ion diffusion control device, coupled to the reservoir and including the one or more channel regions. The electric field generated by the ion diffusion control device can control the diffusion of ions from the reservoir to the one or more channel regions.

[0005] In one or more examples, a method may include providing a certain amount of ions and contacting a reservoir region of a semiconductor device with the certain amount of ions, thereby storing the certain amount of ions in the reservoir region. The semiconductor device may include: one or more silicon oxide regions, disposed adjacent to the ion reservoir; and one or more channel regions, disposed below the reservoir and below the one or more silicon oxide regions. One or more channel regions may include one or more metal oxide-containing materials. The method may include detecting whether the semiconductor device detects a condition based on determining that at least a threshold amount of ions are present in at least a portion of the one or more channel regions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] In the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the same numerals may describe similar components in different views. Similar numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various implementations discussed in this document by way of example and not limitation.

[0007] Figure 1 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device having one or more ion diffusion control devices for controlling diffusion of ions from a reservoir to a channel region to indicate an environmental condition.

[0008] Figure 2 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device including an ion reservoir and one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices to control diffusion of ions out of the reservoir.

[0009] Figure 3 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of a portion of an example semiconductor device including a first metal oxide semiconductor device having a first activation voltage and a second metal oxide semiconductor device having a second activation voltage less than the first activation voltage, and showing ion diffusion from a reservoir to a channel region.

[0010] Figure 4 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device including an ion reservoir and one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices after ions diffuse from the reservoir into a channel region.

[0011] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram depicting an example process for producing an ion reservoir for a semiconductor device including one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices to control the diffusion of ions from the reservoir.

[0012] Figure 6 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device including an ion reservoir, one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices to control diffusion of ions from the reservoir, and a component configured to direct diffusion of ions from the reservoir.

[0013] Figure 7 is a flow chart describing operations of an example process for forming a semiconductor device having one or more ion diffusion control devices for controlling diffusion of ions from a reservoir into a channel region indicative of environmental conditions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The information generated by sensors can be used by people, machines, and / or computing devices to make various decisions. In various examples, these decisions may be related to the safety and well-being of one or more people, animals, or the environment. In addition, the information generated by sensors can indicate errors in one or more processes, the normal operation of a machine, can be used to generate alarms, etc. For these reasons, relatively high accuracy and reliable accessibility of the information produced by sensors can be design considerations for sensors. Typically, computer-readable storage devices are used to store and / or access the data generated by the sensors. In many cases, sensor data stored by a computer-readable storage device cannot be accessed without the computer-readable storage device being able to obtain power.

[0015] Embodiments described herein relate to sensors including semiconductor devices that diffuse ions into a channel region of the semiconductor device under one or more conditions. Detection of ions in the channel region may indicate that one or more conditions have occurred. In one or more previously implemented configurations, the diffusion of ions may be difficult to control and may be limited in the data that can be recorded. Embodiments described herein differ from the prior art because the diffusion of ions can be better controlled by using metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices. In various examples, materials containing ions and materials containing the channel region are selected to enable ions to effectively diffuse into the channel region in response to the sensor being affected by one or more conditions. In this way, the sensor implementation described herein can be flexible in the conditions of detection because different combinations of ions and oxide materials can be selected to sense one or more different conditions. In addition, the semiconductor-based sensors described herein can be implemented without using an external power supply or with minimal external power supply. In this way, the semiconductor devices here can detect conditions without relying on the presence of an external power supply, and are therefore more reliable than traditional sensors that rely on computer-readable storage devices to store data. In addition, by causing ions to move to the channel region under one or more conditions, the semiconductor devices described herein can operate as storage devices, recording instances of one or more conditions that occur with minimal or no external power.

[0016] In various examples, the amount of ions present in a semiconductor device used to detect the presence of one or more conditions is approximately the same as the amount of contaminants allowed by various silicon device manufacturing specifications. Therefore, the semiconductor devices described herein can be manufactured in typical silicon device manufacturing facilities. In addition, the semiconductor devices described herein include primary and secondary barriers to prevent metal ions from diffusing out of the sensor device, thereby minimizing or eliminating contamination of devices that may be coupled to the semiconductor-based sensor.

[0017] Figure 11 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device 100 having one or more ion diffusion control devices for controlling the diffusion of ions from a reservoir 102 to a channel region 104 to indicate a condition detected by the semiconductor device 100. The reservoir 102 may include an interior region in which the ions are disposed and surrounded by an outer shell 106. The interior region of the reservoir 102 may include one or more oxide-containing materials. In various examples, the interior region of the reservoir 102 may include silicon dioxide. The outer shell 106 may include one or more metallic materials. In one or more examples, the outer shell 106 may include aluminum, one or more alloys of aluminum, copper, at least one alloy of copper, or at least one combination thereof. The reservoir 102 may have a diameter 108. Diameter 108 may be at least 0.1 micrometers (μm), at least 0.5 μm, at least 1 μm, at least 10 μm, at least 25 μm, at least 50 μm, at least 75 μm, at least 100 μm, at least 125 μm, at least 150 μm, at least 175 μm, at least 200 μm, at least 250 μm, at least 300 μm, at least 400 μm, or at least 500 μm. In one or more illustrative examples, diameter 108 may be from about 0.1 μm to about 500 μm, from about 0.1 μm to about 1 μm, from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, from about 1 μm to about 50 μm, from about 10 μm to about 100 μm, from about 100 μm to about 200 μm, from about 200 μm to about 300 μm, from about 150 μm to about 250 μm, from about 300 μm to about 400 μm, from about 250 μm to about 500 μm, from about 100 μm to about 300 μm, or from about 400 μm to about 500 μm.

[0018] The ions stored in the reservoir 102 may include ions of one or more metals. In various examples, the reservoir 102 may store ions of one or more Group 1 elements. For example, the reservoir 102 may store at least one positively charged ion of hydrogen, lithium, sodium, or potassium. In one or more examples, the reservoir 102 may store ions of one or more Group 2 elements. For illustration, the reservoir 102 may store at least one positively charged ion of beryllium, magnesium, or calcium. In another example, the reservoir 102 may store ions of one or more transition metals. In one or more additional examples, the reservoir 102 may store at least one positively charged ion of manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, or gold. In one or more further examples, the reservoir 102 may store ions of elements other than metals. In one or more illustrative examples, the reservoir 102 may store ions of one or more Group 17 elements. For example, the reservoir 102 may store at least one negatively charged ion of fluorine or chlorine.

[0019] In various examples, the semiconductor device 100 can operate as a sensor, and the ions stored by the reservoir 102 can correspond to the conditions to be sensed by the semiconductor device 100. In one or more examples, the semiconductor device 100 can operate as a temperature sensor. In these cases, the ions stored by the reservoir 102 can have characteristics that enable the ions to move through the channel region 104 at a temperature to be detected or to move through the channel region 104 according to a change in air temperature to be detected. In one or more additional examples, the semiconductor device 100 can operate as a pressure sensor. In these cases, the ions stored by the reservoir 102 can have characteristics that enable the ions to move through the channel region 104 at a pressure to be detected, or to enable the ions to move through the channel region 104 according to a change in pressure to be detected. In another example, the semiconductor device 100 can operate as a voltage sensor. For example, the ions stored by the reservoir 102 can have characteristics that enable the ions to move through the channel region 104 in response to being subjected to at least a threshold voltage. In one or more further examples, the semiconductor device 100 can operate as a light sensor, such as a visible light sensor. To illustrate, the ions stored by reservoir 102 can have characteristics that enable the ions to absorb energy in response to visible light, such that the ions absorb sufficient energy to overcome the activation voltage of semiconductor device 100 and move into channel region 104 when exposed to visible light for at least a threshold duration. In at least some examples, semiconductor device 100 can operate as a sensor for additional ranges of electromagnetic radiation. In one or more illustrative examples, the ions stored by reservoir 102 can have characteristics that enable the ions to absorb energy when exposed to electromagnetic radiation having one or more wavelength ranges. The ions can absorb sufficient energy to overcome the activation voltage of semiconductor device 100 and move into channel region 104.

[0020] The channel region 104 may include one or more oxide materials. In one or more examples, the channel region 104 may include one or more metal oxide materials. For example, the channel region 104 may include one or more oxides of silicon, one or more oxides of germanium, one or more oxides of copper, one or less oxides of cobalt, one or more oxides of iron, one or more oxides of titanium, one or more oxides of tin, one or more oxides of indium, or one or more combinations thereof. In one or more illustrative examples, the channel region 104 may include SnO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, TiO2, In2O3, Co3O4, CuO, SiO2, or one or more combinations thereof. In various examples, one or more oxide materials of the channel region 104 and the ions stored by the reservoir 102 may be selected in one or more specified combinations based on one or more conditions sensed by the semiconductor device 100 so that the metal ions can be effectively diffused from the reservoir 102 into the channel region 140.

[0021] The semiconductor device 100 may also include an oxide region 110 disposed adjacent to the reservoir 102. In one or more examples, the oxide region 110 may include one or more metal oxide materials. In one or more illustrative examples, the oxide region 110 may include one or more silicon oxides. For example, the oxide region 110 may include silicon dioxide (SiO2). In various examples, the oxide region 110 may include one or more layers of one or more metal oxide materials. In addition, one or more electrical components may be disposed in the oxide region 110. For illustration, one or more electrical contacts may be disposed in the oxide region 110. In addition, one or more through holes may be disposed in the oxide region 110. In at least some examples, one or more gate electrical contacts may be disposed in the oxide region 110. In addition, one or more source electrical contacts may be disposed in the oxide region 110. In further examples, one or more drain electrical contacts may be disposed in the oxide region 110. Conductive paths and connectors may also be disposed in the oxide region 110, which are configured to transmit current through the semiconductor device 100. In various examples, one or more metal structure layers may be disposed in the oxide region 110. The one or more metal structure layers may provide separation between portions of the semiconductor device 100 and / or provide structural stability to the semiconductor device 100 .

[0022] In one or more examples, the semiconductor device 100 may include a first ion diffusion control device 112 and a second ion diffusion control device 114. In at least some examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 may include a first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device, and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include a second MOS device. For example, the first ion diffusion control device 112 may include a first gate region of the first MOS device, and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include a second gate region of the second MOS device. The first gate region of the first MOS device may be connected in series with the second gate region of the second MOS device. In one or more illustrative examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include corresponding gate regions having one or more polysilicon gate structures. In various examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include corresponding gate regions sharing a polysilicon gate structure. In addition, in the implementation where the first ion diffusion control device 112 is a first MOS device and the second ion diffusion control device 114 is a second MOS device, the channel region 104 may be configured as a channel of the first MOS device and the second MOS device.

[0023] The first ion diffusion control device 112 may include at least one of the first drain region or the first source region. In addition, the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include at least one of the second drain region or the second source region. In various examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may share at least one of a common drain region or a common source region. In one or more examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include one or more source electrical contacts and one or more drain electrical contacts. In one or more additional examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may include at least one of one or more source electrical contacts or one or more drain electrical contacts disposed in the oxide region 110. In one or more illustrative examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may share a common source electrical contact and / or a common drain electrical contact disposed in the oxide region 110.

[0024] The semiconductor device 100 may also include a silicon region 116 disposed below the channel region 104. The silicon region 116 may include a plurality of regions including one or more concentrations of one or more dopants. For example, one or more regions of the silicon region 116 may include one or more concentrations of at least one of one or more n-type dopants or one or more p-type dopants. In various examples, the silicon region 116 may include one or more regions doped with an n-type dopant, the n-type dopant including at least one of phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth. In one or more illustrative examples, the silicon region 116 may include one or more regions containing an n-type dopant, the n-type dopant amount corresponding to at least one of the drain region or source region of the first ion diffusion control device 112 and / or at least one of the drain region and source region of the second ion diffusion control device 114. In one or more additional examples, one or more regions of the silicon region 116 may include one or more regions doped with a p-type dopant, the p-type dopant including at least one of indium, gallium, boron, or aluminum. In one or more examples, the concentration of the n-type dopant, the concentration of the p-type dopant, or the concentration of both the n-type dopant and the p-type dopant in silicon region 116 may vary depending on a desired electrical profile within silicon region 116 .

[0025] In addition, the semiconductor device 100 may include a detection circuit 118. The detection circuit 118 may be electrically coupled to at least one of the first ion diffusion control device 112 or the second ion diffusion control device 114. In one or more examples, the detection circuit 118 may be configured to detect the presence of ions within the channel region 104. In various examples, the detection circuit 118 may be configured to detect at least a threshold concentration of ions in the channel region 104. In at least some examples, the channel region 104 may become conductive in response to the threshold concentration of ions present in the channel region 104. The detection circuit 118 may be configured to enable an applied voltage to generate at least a threshold current within the detection circuit 118 in response to the at least threshold concentration of ions present in the channel region 104. The detection circuit 118 may include at least one of one or more electrical contacts or one or more metal connectors. The one or more metal connectors may include at least one of a wire or a board coupling components of the semiconductor device 100. In various examples, the silicon region 116 may include one or more regions of at least one of an n-type dopant or a p-type dopant corresponding to the detection circuit 118.

[0026] The semiconductor device 100 may include or be coupled to a sense state indicator 120. The sense state indicator 120 may provide at least one of a visual indication or an audio indication that the semiconductor device 100 has sensed a state. In one or more examples, the sense state indicator 120 may be directly or indirectly coupled to the detection circuit 118. In one or more illustrative examples, the sense state indicator 120 may include an analog device that changes color, activates a light, or activates at least one of a buzzer in response to an applied voltage based on ions present in the channel region 104, in response to a current detected by the detection circuit 118. In at least some examples, the sense state indicator 120 may be included in a control panel of a device or machine. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the sense state indicator 120 may be included in a user interface accessible using a computing device. In various examples, the user interface may display a user interface element that visually indicates that the semiconductor device 100 has detected a condition. For example, the user interface may include a user interface element that indicates a condition detected by the semiconductor device using at least one of one or more shapes, one or more colors, one or more alphanumeric characters, or one or more symbols.

[0027] In one or more examples, the first ion diffusion control device 112 may generate a first electric field, and the second ion diffusion control device 114 may generate a second electric field. At least one of the first electric field or the second electric field may prevent or minimize ions from diffusing from the reservoir 102 into the channel region 104. In various examples, the first electric field of the first ion diffusion control device 112 may be generated by a first PN junction formed by a doped region located in the silicon region 116. In addition, the second electric field of the second ion diffusion control device 114 may be generated by a second PN junction formed by one or more additional doped regions located in the silicon region 116. In one or more illustrative examples, the first magnitude of the first electric field of the first ion diffusion control device 112 may be greater than the second magnitude of the second electric field of the second ion diffusion control device 114. In response to the semiconductor device 100 being exposed to one or more conditions, the first magnitude of the first electric field of the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second magnitude of the second electric field of the second ion diffusion control device 114 may be reduced so that ions stored in the reservoir 102 may diffuse into the channel region 104. In at least some examples, the first electric field of the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second electric field of the second ion diffusion control device 114 can dissipate in response to the semiconductor device 100 being exposed to one or more conditions.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown in the illustrative example of FIG. 1 , the semiconductor device 100 can move from a first state 122, in which a first concentration of ions is present in the channel region 104, to a second state 124, in which a second concentration of ions is present in the channel region 104. The second concentration of ions present in the channel region 104 in the second state 124 can be greater than the first concentration of ions present in the channel region 104 in the first state 122. In one or more examples, ions may not be present in the channel region 104 in the first state 122. In the case where a voltage is applied to the detection circuit 118 when the semiconductor device 100 is in the first state 122, the detection circuit 118 may not detect a threshold current, and the sensed state indicator 120 may indicate the absence of one or more states. In one or more additional scenarios, when the semiconductor device 100 is in the second state 124, when a voltage is applied to the detection circuit 118, the detection circuit 118 may detect a threshold current, and the sensed state indicator 120 may indicate the presence of one or more states. In at least some cases, the reduction in the electric field of at least one of the first ion diffusion control device 112 or the second ion diffusion control device 114 can occur without an external power source being supplied to the semiconductor device 100. For example, the ions stored by the reservoir 102, the one or more materials of the channel region 104, and the components of the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second ion diffusion control device 114 can be selected and configured so that the first electric field of the first ion diffusion control device 112 and the second electric field of the second ion diffusion control device 114 are reduced to a value that enables the ions to diffuse from the reservoir 102 into the channel region 140 in response to exposure to one or more conditions without applying an external voltage to the semiconductor device 100. To illustrate, in response to exposure to at least one of one or more temperature conditions or one or more pressure conditions for at least a threshold duration, the electric field of the ion diffusion control devices 112, 114 can be reduced to a magnitude that causes the ions stored by the reservoir 102 to diffuse into the channel region 104.

[0029] Figure 22 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device 200 that includes an ion reservoir 202 and one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices to control diffusion of ions out of the reservoir 202. The semiconductor device 200 may include a housing 204 for the reservoir 202. In various examples, the interior region of the reservoir 202 may be encased in one or more materials that minimize or prevent ions from diffusing out of the reservoir 202 in a lateral direction, such as diffusion of ions into one or more layers adjacent to the reservoir 202. The housing 204 may be formed by one or more through holes. In one or more examples, the housing 204 may include one or more metal materials. In at least some examples, the housing 204 may be formed by one or more materials having a density greater than the density of ions stored by the reservoir 202.

[0030] In one or more illustrative examples, the ion concentration provided in reservoir 202 may be at least 0.5×10 10 cm -3 , at least 1x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 5x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 10x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 15x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 20x10 10 cm -3 , at least 25x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 30x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 40x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 50x 10 10 cm -3 , at least 75x10 10 cm -3 or at least 100x 10 10 cm -3 In one or more additional illustrative examples, the ion concentration provided in reservoir 202 may be approximately 0.5 x 10 10 cm -3 About 100 x 10 10 cm -3 , about 1x 10 10 cm -3 About 50x 10 10 cm -3 , about 1×10 10 cm -3 About 10x 1010 cm -3 , about 10x 10 10 cm -3 About 30 x 10 10 cm -3 or about 20 x 10 10 cm -3 About 50×10 10 cm -3 In various examples, reservoir 202 may store ions of at least one of one or more alkali metals, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more transition metals, or one or more halides.

[0031] One or more electrical contacts can be disposed in the housing 204. For example, the housing 204 can include a first electrical contact 206, a second electrical contact 208, a third electrical contact 210, and a fourth electrical contact 212. The electrical contacts 206, 208, 210, 212 can be formed of one or more metallic materials. For illustration, the electrical contacts 206, 208, 210, 212 can be formed of copper, one or more alloys of copper, titanium, tungsten, tungsten, lead, one or more alloys of lead, or one or more combinations thereof. In at least some examples, the electrical contacts 206, 208, 210, 212 can be formed of one or more metallic materials that are different from the one or more metals used to form the housing 204.

[0032] The semiconductor device 200 may also include a silicon substrate 214. The silicon substrate 214 may be composed of one or more layers of silicon. The silicon substrate 214 may include one or more regions doped with at least one of one or more n-type materials or more than one p-type material. In addition, the silicon substrate 214 may include regions with different concentrations of n-type dopants, regions with different concentrations of p-type dopants, or a combination thereof. In one or more examples, the silicon substrate 214 may have a thickness from about 100 nm to about 500 μm, from about 500 nm to about 100 μm, from about 100 nm to about 1 μm, from about 1 μm to about 100 μm, from about 100 μm to about 250 μm, from about 250 μm to about 500 μm, or from about 200 μm to about 400 μm.

[0033] The semiconductor device 200 may include a channel region 216 disposed below the reservoir 202. The channel region 216 may be formed of one or more metal oxide materials. In one or more illustrative examples, the channel region 216 may include silicon dioxide. The channel region 216 may be configured so that ions stored by the reservoir 202 may diffuse into the channel region 216 under one or more specified conditions. The channel region 216 may include one or more portions. In various examples, the channel region 216 may include a continuous region consisting of a plurality of portions. In one or more examples, the channel region 216 may include a plurality of expansion regions and a plurality of contraction regions. The height of each expansion region may be greater than the height of each contraction region. In one or more illustrative examples, the height of a single expansion region may be at least 2 times the height of a single contraction region, at least 3 times the height of a single contraction region, at least 4 times the height of a single contraction region, at least 5 times the height of a single contraction region, at least 8 times the height of a single contraction region, or at least 10 times the height of a single contraction region. In various examples, the heights of the various expansion zones can be within at least 1% of each other, within at least 2% of each other, within at least 3% of each other, within at least 4% of each other, within at least 5% of each other, within at least 8% of each other, within 10% of each other, within 15% of each other, within 20% of each other, or within 25% of each other. Additionally, the heights of the various contractions can be within at least 1% of each other, within at least 2% of each other, within at least 3% of each other, within at least 4% of each other, within at least 5% of each other, within at least 8% of each other, within 10% of each other, within 15% of each other, within 20% of each other, or within 25% of each other. Figure 2 In the illustrative example of , the channel region 216 may include a first expansion region 218 , a first contraction region 220 , a second expansion region 222 , a second contraction region 224 , a third contraction region 226 , a third expansion region 228 , and a fourth contraction region 230 .

[0034] The channel region 216 may include channels of a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices. In one or more examples, a first gate structure 232 may be disposed on a first portion of the channel region 216, and a second gate structure 234 may be disposed on a second portion of the channel region 216. The first gate structure 232 and the second gate structure 234 may be formed of one or more metal materials. In one or more additional examples, the first gate structure 232 and the second gate structure 234 may be formed of one or more silicon-containing materials. For example, the first gate structure 232 and the second gate structure 234 may be formed of polysilicon.

[0035] In one or more examples, the first gate structure 232 may include a first gate region 236 and a second gate region 238. The first gate region 236 may correspond to a first MOS device having a channel consisting of the first constriction region 220. The second gate region 238 may correspond to a second MOS device having a channel consisting of the second constriction region 224. In various examples, a first electric field may be formed relative to the first gate region 236, and a second electric field may be formed relative to the second gate region 238. The first electric field may have a first magnitude greater than a second magnitude of the second electric field. In this way, the first electric field may prevent or minimize ions from diffusing from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 216, and the second electric field may be used to indicate that at least a minimum concentration of ions is present in the channel region 216.

[0036] The first gate region 236 can have a first length 240, and the second gate region 238 can have a second length 242. In one or more examples, the first length 240 can be greater than the second length 242. In one or more illustrative examples, the first length 240 can be from about 20 nm to about 100 nm, from about 20 nm to about 80 nm, from about 20 nm to about 60 nm, from about 40 nm to about 80 nm, from about 20 nm to about 40 nm, or from about 30 nm to about 50 nm. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the second length 242 can be about 5 nm to about 25 nm, about 10 nm to about 20 nm, or about 5 nm to about 15 nm.

[0037] In various examples, the second gate structure 234 may include a third gate region 244 and a fourth gate region 246. The third gate region 244 may correspond to a third MOS device having a channel consisting of the third contraction region 226. The fourth gate region 246 may correspond to a fourth MOS device having a channel consisting of the fourth contraction region 230. In various examples, a third electric field may be formed relative to the third gate region 244, and a fourth electric field may be formed relative to the fourth gate region 246. The third electric field may have a third amplitude greater than a fourth amplitude of the third electric field. In this way, the third electric field may prevent or minimize ions from diffusing from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 216, and the fourth electric field may be used to indicate that there is at least a minimum concentration of ions in the channel region 216. In one or more examples, the third amplitude of the third electric field may be similar to the first amplitude of the first electric field, and the fourth amplitude of the fourth electric field may be similar to the second amplitude of the second electric field.

[0038] The MOS device of the semiconductor device 200 may include additional components. For example, the semiconductor device 200 may include a first source connector 248 coupled to the first gate structure 232. In one or more examples, at least a portion of a surface of the first source connector 248 may be in direct contact with a portion of a surface of the first gate structure 232. The semiconductor device 200 may also include a second source connector 250, which is coupled to the first source connector 248 through a first source electrical contact 252. In at least some examples, the second source connector 250 may be coupled to a source region within the silicon substrate 214, the source region including one or more concentrations of dopants. The first source connector 248, the second source connector 250, and the first source electrical contact 252 may be electrically coupled to the first gate region 236 and the second gate region 238. In one or more scenarios, the first source connector 248, the second source connector 250, and the first source electrical contact 252 may include a common source for a first MOS device including the first gate region 236 and for a second MOS device including the second gate region 238. First source connector 248, second source connector 250, and first source electrical contact 252 can be formed of one or more metallic materials. In various examples, at least one of first source connector 248, second source connector 250, or first source electrical contact 252 can be formed of one or more metallic materials that are different from one or more additional metallic materials used to form another of first source connector 248, second source connector 250, or first source electrical contact 252.

[0039] In addition, the semiconductor device 200 may include a third source connector 254 coupled to the second gate structure 234. In one or more examples, at least a portion of a surface of the third source connector 254 may be in direct contact with a portion of a surface of the second gate structure 234. The semiconductor device 200 may also include a fourth source connector 256, which is coupled to the third source connector 254 through a second source electrical contact 258. In at least some examples, the fourth source connector 256 may be coupled to a source region within the silicon substrate 214, the source region including one or more concentrations of dopants. The third source connector 254, the fourth source connector 256, and the second source electrical contact 258 may be electrically coupled to the third gate region 244 and the fourth gate region 246. In one or more scenarios, the third source connector 254, the fourth source connector 256, and the second source electrical contact 258 may include a common source for a third MOS device including the third gate region 244 and for a fourth MOS device including the fourth gate region 246. The third source connector 254, the fourth source connector 256, and the second source electrical contact 258 can be formed of one or more metallic materials. In various examples, at least one of the third source connector 254, the fourth source connector 256, or the second source electrical contact 258 can be formed of one or more metallic materials that are different from the one or more additional metallic materials used to form the other of the third source connector 354, the fourth source connector 256, or the second source electrical contact 258.

[0040] The semiconductor device 200 may include a plurality of oxide regions disposed adjacent to the reservoir 202. In addition, the number of oxide regions may be disposed on at least a portion of each MOS device of the semiconductor device 200. For example, the semiconductor device 200 may include a first oxide region 260 and a second oxide region 262. In one or more examples, the first oxide region 260 and the second oxide region 262 may include silicon dioxide (SiO2). In at least some examples, the first oxide region 260 and the second oxide region 262 may include one or more layers of SiO2.

[0041] The semiconductor device 200 may also include a first barrier structure 264 disposed on the first oxide region 260 and a second barrier structure 266 disposed on the second oxide region 262. The first barrier structure 264 and the second barrier structure 266 may include one or more metal materials. In at least some examples, the first barrier structure 264 and the second barrier structure 266 may be configured to minimize or prevent ions from diffusing into the first oxide region 260 and the second oxide region 262 during one or more processes so that the ions are disposed in the reservoir 202. In addition, the semiconductor device 200 may include a third oxide region 268 disposed on the first barrier structure 264 and a fourth oxide region 270 disposed on the second barrier structure 266. In one or more illustrative examples, the third oxide region 268 and the fourth oxide region 270 may include one or more layers of SiO2. In various examples, the third oxide region 268 and the fourth oxide region 270 may provide mechanical stability for the semiconductor device 200. In addition, the third oxide region 268 and the fourth oxide region 270 may provide a barrier to protect one or more underlying metal layers of the semiconductor device 200. The third oxide region 268 and the fourth oxide region 270 may be disposed backward from the reservoir 202 , thereby reducing or eliminating contamination of the third oxide region 268 and / or the fourth oxide region 270 by ions stored in the reservoir 202 .

[0042] In one or more examples, the semiconductor device 200 may be implemented as described above with reference to Figure 1 One or more illustrative examples of semiconductor device 100 are described. For example, semiconductor device 200 can function as a sensor to detect one or more conditions. Additionally, semiconductor device 200 can register the presence of one or more conditions with minimal or no external power.

[0043] Figure 33 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of a portion of an example semiconductor device 200, the semiconductor device 200 including a first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device 302 having a first activation voltage 304 and a second MOS device 306 having a second activation voltage 308, the second activation voltage 308 being less than the first activation voltage 304, and showing diffusion of ions from the reservoir 202 to the channel region 216. In one or more examples, the semiconductor device 200 can be in a first state 310, in which ions are disposed in the reservoir 202. When the semiconductor device 200 is in the first state 310, the number of ions in the channel region 216 can be less than a threshold concentration. In various examples, the threshold concentration can be a minimum concentration of ions that can cause a current to be detected on at least one of the first MOS device 302 or the second MOS device 306. In addition, when the semiconductor device 200 is in the first state 310, a first electric field generated relative to the first MOS device 302 can prevent or minimize diffusion of ions from the reservoir 202 to the channel region 216.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown in the illustrative example of , the magnitude of the first activation voltage 304 can be greater than the second activation voltage 308. In one or more examples, the magnitude of the first activation voltage 304 can correspond to a difference in the concentration of n-type dopants in the silicon region below the first expansion region 218, the concentration of p-type dopants in the silicon region below the third contraction region 226, and the concentration of n-type dopants in the silicon region below the third expansion region 228. In addition, the magnitude of the second activation voltage 308 can correspond to a difference in the concentration of n-type dopants in the silicon region below the third expansion region 228, the concentration of p-type dopants in the silicon region below the fourth contraction region 230, and the concentration of n-type dopants in the silicon region below the third source connector 254.

[0045] In response to one or more conditions, a voltage having a magnitude of at least the first activation voltage 304 may be generated across at least one of the first MOS device 302 or the second MOS device 306. In these cases, the first electric field generated relative to the first MOS device 302 and the second electric field generated relative to the second MOS device 306 may dissipate to an extent that enables the semiconductor device 200 to move from the first state 310 to the second state 312, such that ions from the reservoir 202 may diffuse into the channel region 216. In one or more examples, in the second state 312, the amount of ions present in the channel region 216 may correspond to at least one threshold ion concentration that enables detection of current across at least one of the first MOS device 302 or the second MOS device 306. In various examples, the activation voltage may be generated without applying an external power source to the semiconductor device 200. That is, the activation voltage may be generated in response to one or more environmental conditions to which the semiconductor device 200 is exposed.

[0046] Figure 4 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device 200 including an ion reservoir 202 and one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices after ions diffuse from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 216. In one or more examples, the flow of ions from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 216 may occur in response to exposure of the semiconductor device 200 to one or more conditions. In various examples, the flow of ions from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 216 may occur in response to exposure of the semiconductor device 200 to one or more environmental conditions. For example, exposure to at least one of one or more temperature conditions or one or more pressure conditions may cause an electric field present in the channel region 216 to dissipate and enable ions to diffuse from the reservoir 202 into the channel region 214. In one or more illustrative examples, ions disposed in the reservoir 202 may diffuse into the channel region 216 in response to exposure of the semiconductor device 200 to at least a threshold temperature for a minimum duration. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the semiconductor device 200 may be included in an autoclave. Continuing with this example, the autoclave can heat one or more objects located in the autoclave chamber. In response to the temperature within the autoclave chamber reaching a threshold temperature within a minimum duration, ions stored in the reservoir 202 can diffuse into the channel region 216. In this way, the semiconductor device 200 can operate as a sensor that stores information indicating that one or more autoclave cycles have been performed and the objects located in the autoclave chamber have been exposed to one or more specified conditions. In various illustrative examples, the autoclave can be used to sterilize medical devices. In these cases, the semiconductor device 200 can indicate whether the medical device placed in the autoclave has been exposed to one or more conditions of the sterilization process, such as exposure to at least a minimum temperature for at least a period of time. In one or more further examples, a plurality of semiconductor devices 200 can be included in the autoclave, and individual instances of the semiconductor device 200 are configured to indicate the completion of a single sterilization cycle.

[0047] Figure 5 is a diagram depicting a cross-section of at least a portion of an example semiconductor device 500 that includes a reservoir 502 of ions, one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices that control diffusion of metal ions from the reservoir, and additional components configured to direct diffusion of ions from the reservoir 502 to a channel region 504. The semiconductor device 500 may correspond to reference Figure 2-4 The semiconductor device 200 is described, wherein some additional components are shown that can detect ions in the channel region 504. For example, the channel region 504 may include multiple expansion regions and multiple contraction regions, such as Figure 2In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a housing of a reservoir 502 disposed in the through hole and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the housing of the reservoir 502, such as Figure 2 Therefore, although Figure 5 Some components may not be specifically labeled, but Figure 5 Many features of Figure 2 In addition, semiconductor device 500 indicates the location of dopants within silicon region 506. In one or more illustrative examples, reservoir 502 can include one or more oxide materials and channel region 504 can include one or more metal oxide semiconductor materials. For example, reservoir 502 and channel region 504 can contain silicon dioxide.

[0048] The semiconductor device 500 may include a first gate region 508 and a second gate region 510. In one or more examples, the first gate region 508 and the second gate region 510 may be included in a single gate structure. In various examples, the first gate region 508 and the second gate region 510 may be included in a polysilicon gate structure. In one or more additional examples, the first gate region 508 and the second gate region 510 may be included in a metal gate structure. In at least some examples, the first gate region 508 may be included in a first MOS device of the semiconductor device 500, and the second gate region 510 may be included in a second MOS device. In one or more illustrative examples, a first MOS device including the first gate region 508 and a second MOS device including the second gate region 510 may control the diffusion of ions stored by the reservoir 502 to a first portion of the channel region 504, the first portion corresponding to the first gate region 504 and the second gate region 510.

[0049] In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a third gate region 512 and a fourth gate region 514. In one or more examples, the third gate region 512 and the fourth gate region 514 may be included in a single gate structure. In various examples, the third gate region 512 and the fourth gate region 514 may be included in a polysilicon gate structure. In one or more additional examples, the third gate region 512 and the fourth gate region 514 may be included in a metal gate structure. In at least some examples, the third gate region 512 may be included in a third MOS device of the semiconductor device 500, and the fourth gate region 514 may be included in a fourth MOS device. In one or more illustrative examples, the third MOS device including the third gate region 512 and the fourth MOS device including the fourth gate region 514 may control the diffusion of ions stored by the reservoir 502 to a second portion of the channel region 504, which corresponds to the third gate region 512 and the fourth gate region 514.

[0050] The semiconductor device 500 may include a first source connector 516 and a second source connector 518. In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a first source electrical contact 520. In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a component of a first detection circuit that may be used to indicate whether at least a threshold amount of ions are present in a first portion of a channel region 504, the channel region including a first gate region 508 and a second gate region 510. The first detection circuit may include a first additional connector 522, a first additional electrical contact 524 coupled to the first additional connector 422, and a second additional electrical contact 526 coupled to the first additional connector 522. The first detection circuit may also include a second additional connector 528 and a third additional electrical contact 530 coupled to the second additional connector 528. In one or more examples, a first metal oxide region 532 may be disposed between the second source connector 518 and the first additional connector 522, and a second metal oxide region 534 may be disposed between the first additional connector 522 and the second additional connector 528. In various examples, the first metal oxide region 532 and the second metal oxide region 534 may include silicon dioxide.

[0051] In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a first oxide region 536 adjacent to the reservoir 502, a first blocking structure 538 disposed on the first oxide region 538, and a second oxide region 540 disposed on the first blocking structure 537. In one or more examples, the first oxide region 536 and the second oxide region 540 may individually include one or more layers of silicon dioxide. In one or more illustrative examples, the second source connector 518 may optionally extend from the first source electrical contact 520 to the first blocking structure 538. In these cases, the first optional electrical contact 542 may be coupled to an extended portion of the first source electrical contact 520. In various examples, the extended portion of the second source connector 518 and the first optional electrical contact 542 may provide additional blocking structures in the event that ions may move to the first oxide region 536. For example, in the event of a structural failure of the housing of the reservoir 502 and / or a structural failure of the first gate structure, ions stored in the reservoir 502 and / or ions located in the channel region 504 may move to the first oxide region 536. The extension of the second source connector 518 and the first optional electrical contact 542 may be configured to minimize or prevent ion diffusion to other portions of the semiconductor device 500 , thereby minimizing any contamination that may occur if ions may escape from the reservoir 502 and / or the first portion of the channel region 504 .

[0052] The semiconductor device 500 may also include a third source connector 544 and a fourth source connector 546. In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a second source electrical contact 548. In addition, the semiconductor device 500 may include a component of a second detection circuit that may be used to indicate whether at least a threshold amount of ions are present in a second portion of the channel region 504 including the third gate region 512 and the fourth gate region 514. The second detection circuit may include a third additional connector 550, a fourth additional electrical contact 552 coupled to the third additional connector 550, and a fifth additional electrical contact 554 coupled to the third additional connector 550. The second detection circuit may also include a fourth additional connector 556 and a sixth additional electrical contact 558 coupled to the fourth additional connector 556. In one or more examples, the third metal oxide region 560 may be disposed between the fourth source connector 546 and the third additional connector 550, and the fourth metal oxide region 562 may be disposed between the first additional connector 556 and the second additional connector 556. In various examples, the third metal oxide region 560 and the fourth metal oxide region 562 may include silicon dioxide.

[0053] The semiconductor device 500 may include a third oxide region 564 adjacent to the reservoir 502, a second blocking structure 566 disposed on the second oxide region 564, and a fourth oxide region 568 disposed on the second blocking structure 566. In one or more examples, the third oxide region 564 and the fourth oxide region 568 may individually include one or more layers of silicon dioxide. In one or more illustrative examples, the fourth source connector 546 may optionally extend from the second source electrical contact 548 to the second blocking structure 566. In these cases, the second optional electrical contact 570 may be coupled to an extended portion of the second source electrical contact 548. In various examples, the extended portion of the fourth source connector 546 and the second optional electrical contact 570 may provide additional blocking structures in the event that ions may move to the third oxide region 564. For example, in the event of a structural failure of the housing of the reservoir 502 and / or a structural failure of the first gate structure, ions stored in the reservoir 502 and / or ions present in the channel region 504 may move to the third oxide region 564. Extensions of fourth source connector 546 and second optional electrical contact 570 may be configured to minimize or prevent ion diffusion to other portions of semiconductor device 500 , thereby minimizing any contamination that may occur if ions may escape from reservoir 502 or the second portion of channel region 504 .

[0054] The silicon region 506 of the semiconductor device 500 may include a first n-type doping region 572. In one or more examples, the first n-type doping region 572 may include one or more sub-regions having n-type dopant concentrations different from one or more other sub-regions of the first n-type dopant region 572. The silicon region 506 may also include a first p-type doping region 574. The first p-type doping region 574 may be located within the first n-type doping region 572. In addition, the silicon region 506 may include a second n-type doping region 576. The second n-type doping region 576 may be located near an expansion region of the channel region 504, the expansion region corresponding to a first MOS device of the semiconductor device 500. In at least some examples, the first p-type doping region 574 and at least one of the first n-type doping region 572 or the second n-type doping region 576 may include a first PN junction of the semiconductor device 500. The first PN junction may generate a first electric field that prevents or minimizes ions from diffusing from the reservoir 502 to a first portion of the channel region 504.

[0055] In addition, the silicon region 506 may include a first source n-type doping region 578. The first source n-type doping region 578 may be located in the first p-type doping region 574. The first source n-type doping region 578 may also be directly coupled to the second source connector 518. The first source n-type doping region 578 may include a higher concentration of n-type dopants than at least a portion of at least one of the first n-type doping region 572 or the second n-type doping region 576. In one or more illustrative examples, at least one of the first p-type doping region 574 and the second n-type doping region 576 or the first source n-type doping region 578 may include a second PN junction of the semiconductor device 500. The second PN junction may generate a second electric field having a smaller magnitude than the first electric field of the first PN junction. In one or more examples, the silicon region 506 may include a second p-type doping region 580. The second p-type doping region 580 may be located in the first p-type doping region 574. In addition, the second p-type doping region 580 may be directly coupled to the first additional connector 522. Furthermore, the second additional connector 528 may be adjacent to a portion of the first n-doped region 572 .

[0056] The silicon region 506 may also include a third p-type doping region 582. The third p-type doping region 582 may be disposed in the first n-type doping region 572. In addition, the silicon region 506 may include a fourth n-type doping region 584. The fourth n-type doping region 584 may be located near an expansion region of the channel region 504, the expansion region corresponding to a second MOS device of the semiconductor device 500. In at least some examples, the third p-type doping region 582 and at least one of the first n-type doping region 572 or the fourth n-type doping region 584 may include a third PN junction of the semiconductor device 500. The third PN junction may generate a third electric field that prevents or minimizes ions from diffusing from the reservoir 502 to the second portion of the channel region 504. In one or more illustrative examples, the magnitude of the third electric field may be the same or similar to the magnitude of the first electric field.

[0057] In various examples, the silicon region 506 may include a second source n-type doping region 586. The second source n-type doping region 586 may be located in the third p-type doping region 582. The second source n-type doping region 586 may also be directly coupled to the fourth source connector 546. The second source n-type doping region 586 may include a higher concentration of n-type dopants than at least a portion of at least one of the first n-type doping region 572 or the fourth n-type doping region 584. In one or more illustrative examples, at least one of the third p-type doping region 582 and the fourth n-type doping region 584 or the second source n-type doping region 586 may include a fourth PN junction of the semiconductor device 500. The fourth PN junction may generate a fourth electric field having a smaller amplitude than the third electric field of the third PN junction. In at least some examples, the amplitude of the fourth electric field may be similar or the same as the amplitude of the second electric field. In one or more examples, the silicon region 506 may include a fourth p-type doping region 588. The fourth p-type doping region 588 may be located in the third p-type doping region 582. Furthermore, the fourth p-type doping region 588 may be directly coupled to the third additional connector 550. Furthermore, the fourth additional connector 556 may be adjacent to a portion of the first n-type doping region 572.

[0058] Figure 6 6 is a flow chart describing operations of an example process 600 for forming a semiconductor device having one or more ion diffusion control devices for controlling diffusion of ions from a reservoir to a channel region to indicate an environmental condition. At operation 602, process 600 may include providing an amount of ions. In one or more examples, the amount of ions may be provided in a solution. In various examples, the amount of ions may be provided in a salt solution. In at least some examples, the ions may include metal ions.

[0059] At operation 604, process 600 may include contacting a reservoir region of the semiconductor device with the amount of ions. In various examples, the reservoir region of the semiconductor device may be contacted with the amount of ions by disposing an amount of solution containing ions on at least the reservoir region of the semiconductor device. In one or more illustrative examples, the reservoir region may be contacted with a droplet containing the amount of ions. In the case where the semiconductor device includes multiple reservoir regions, a single droplet may be placed in contact with the single reservoir region. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the single droplet may be generated by one or more printing devices.

[0060] In one or more examples, the semiconductor device may further include one or more silicon oxide regions adjacent to the ion reservoir. In addition, the semiconductor device may include one or more channel regions. In addition, the semiconductor device may include one or more diffusion control devices, which include one or more channel regions. One or more diffusion control devices may control the diffusion of ions from the reservoir to the one or more channel regions. In various examples, the semiconductor device may include multiple additional components, connectors, electrical contacts, and layers.

[0061] In one or more illustrative examples, at least a portion of the features of the semiconductor device can be produced using one or more additive processes that add material to at least one of one or more surfaces, one or more substrates, or one or more layers of the semiconductor device. In addition, at least a portion of the features of the semiconductor device can be produced using a subtractive process, in which one or more layers of material of the structure of the features of the semiconductor device are deposited on at least one of one or more surfaces, one or more substrates, or one or more layers and portions of material are removed according to the arrangement of the features of the semiconductor device. In at least some illustrative examples, the features of the semiconductor device can be manufactured using one or more lithographic processes, such as optical lithography, electron beam lithography, direct write lithography, nano-imprint lithography, one or more combinations thereof, etc. In one or more additional illustrative examples, one or more deposition processes can be implemented to produce one or more features of the semiconductor device. For illustration, one or more features of a semiconductor device may be fabricated using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD), low pressure CVD, ultra-high vacuum CVD, aerosol-assisted CVD, direct liquid injection CVD, microwave plasma-assisted CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, remote plasma-enhanced CVD, atomic layer CVD (also referred to as ALD), combustion CVD, hot filament CVD, hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition, metal organic CVD, rapid thermal CVD, photo-induced CVD, sputtering, electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, wet chemical processing, ion beam deposition, one or more combinations thereof, etc. In one or more further illustrative examples, one or more etching processes, such as one or more chemical etching processes, one or more wet etching processes, and / or one or more dry etching processes, may be implemented to fabricate one or more features of a semiconductor device. In other illustrative examples, one or more polishing operations, such as one or more chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) operations, may be performed to fabricate at least a portion of the features of a semiconductor device.

[0062] Additionally, process 600 can include causing a quantity of ions to be stored in the reservoir region at operation 606. In at least some examples, ions contained in the solution can be moved from the solution to the reservoir by applying at least one of heat or pressure to the solution. In one or more illustrative examples, a laser can be used to cause a quantity of ions to move from the solution containing the ions to the reservoir region.

[0063] Additionally, at operation 608, process 600 can include causing the diffusion control device to generate an electric field to hinder diffusion of ions from the reservoir region to the one or more channel regions. In one or more examples, the electric field can be generated by one or more PN junctions present in the semiconductor device.

[0064] At operation 610, process 600 may also include determining that an event has occurred that causes the electric field to dissipate and enables at least a portion of the ions to diffuse from the reservoir region to one or more channel regions. In one or more examples, the electric field may dissipate in response to being subjected to at least a threshold voltage. In various examples, the threshold voltage may be applied in response to one or more conditions in which the semiconductor device is located. The one or more conditions may include one or more temperature conditions, one or more pressure conditions, one or more time-based conditions, or one or more combinations thereof. In at least some examples, the applied voltage may be at least 0.2V, at least 0.4, at least 0.5V, at least 0.6V, at least 0.7V, at least 0.8V, at least 1V, at least 1.2V, at least 1.5V, at least 2V, or at least 3V.

[0065] Figure 7 2 is a schematic diagram of an example process 700 for producing an ion reservoir 202 for a semiconductor device 200, which includes one or more metal oxide semiconductor devices, to control the diffusion of ions from the reservoir 202. The process 700 may include generating a solution 702 containing a certain amount of ions. In one or more examples, the solution 702 may include an aqueous solution containing a certain concentration of ions. In various examples, a certain amount of solution 702 may be disposed on the semiconductor device 200. In at least some examples, a certain amount of solution 702 may be placed on the first barrier structure 264 and the second barrier structure 266. The first barrier structure 264 and the second barrier structure 266 may prevent or minimize the diffusion of ions contained in the solution 702 into the first oxide region 260 and the second oxide region 262. In addition, a certain amount of solution 702 may be disposed in a housing 704 formed by the housing 204 and located above the reservoir 202. In one or more illustrative examples, a droplet 706 of the solution 702 may be disposed on the semiconductor device 200. In one or more additional illustrative examples, droplets 706 may be placed on semiconductor device 200 using a printing device.

[0066] At operation 708, at least one of heat or pressure may be applied to droplet 706 to cause the ions to be located in reservoir 202. In one or more illustrative examples, a laser may be applied to droplet 706 to cause the ions in droplet 706 to be driven out of droplet 706 and into reservoir 202. In at least some examples, after operation 708 is performed and the ions contained in droplet 706 are placed in reservoir 202, one or more rinses or other cleaning processes may be applied to remove excess portions of solution 702 from semiconductor device 200.

[0067] A numbered, non-limiting list of aspects of the present subject matter is presented below.

[0068] Aspect 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: an ion reservoir having an outer shell and an inner region, wherein the ions are arranged in the inner region and the outer shell contains one or more metals; one or more silicon oxide regions, arranged adjacent to the ion reservoir; one or more channel regions, arranged below the reservoir and below the one or more silicon oxide regions, the one or more channel regions containing one or more metal oxide materials; and an ion diffusion control device, coupled to the reservoir and including the one or more channel regions, wherein the electric field generated by the ion diffusion control device controls the diffusion of the ions from the reservoir to the one or more channel regions.

[0069] Aspect 2. A semiconductor device according to Aspect 1, wherein the ion diffusion control device includes a metal oxide semiconductor device, the metal oxide semiconductor device includes at least a portion of the channel region in the one or more channel regions, and includes a gate region, the gate region includes one or more polysilicon materials.

[0070] Aspect 3. A semiconductor device according to Aspect 2, wherein the ion diffusion control device is a first diffusion control device, including a first part of the channel region and a first part of the gate region, and the semiconductor device includes a second diffusion control device, the second diffusion control device including a second part of the channel region and a second part of the gate region.

[0071] Aspect 4. The semiconductor device according to aspect 3, wherein at least one of the first portion of the gate region and the second portion of the gate region is coupled to a gate electrical contact, and the channel region is coupled to a source electrical contact.

[0072] Aspect 5. A semiconductor device according to Aspect 4, wherein the channel region includes: a first expansion region, located below the reservoir and having a first height; a second expansion region having a second height; a first contraction region, coupling the first expansion region to the second expansion region and having a third height; and a second contraction region, coupled to the second expansion region and having a fourth height; wherein the first height and the second height are greater than the third height and the fourth height.

[0073] Aspect 6. A semiconductor device according to Aspect 5, wherein a first portion of the gate region is disposed above the first shrinkage region; a second portion of the gate region is disposed above the second shrinkage region; and a first length of the first shrinkage region is greater than a second length of the second shrinkage region.

[0074] Aspect 7. The semiconductor device according to Aspect 6 includes a silicon layer arranged below one or more channel regions, the silicon layer having one or more p-type doped regions containing a certain amount of one or more p-type dopants and one or more n-type doped regions containing a certain amount of one or more n-type dopants.

[0075] Aspect 8. A semiconductor device according to aspect 7, wherein the silicon layer includes a first n-type doped region of the one or more n-type doped regions disposed below the first expansion region, and a second n-type doped region of the one or more n-type doped regions coupled to the source electrical contact.

[0076] Aspect 9. The semiconductor device according to aspect 8, wherein the first n-type doping region has a first concentration of the one or more n-type dopants, the first concentration being less than a second concentration of the one or more n-type dopants included in the second n-type doping region.

[0077] Aspect 10. The semiconductor device according to aspect 8, wherein the silicon layer includes a p-type doped region of one or more p-type doped regions arranged below the first contraction region, below the second expansion region, below the second contraction region, and below the second n-type doped region.

[0078] Aspect 11. The semiconductor device according to aspect 10, wherein the silicon layer includes a third n-type doping region disposed below the first n-type doping region and the p-type doping region.

[0079] Aspect 12. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein a first electric field exists in the first diffusion control device and a second electric field exists in the second diffusion control device, wherein the first electric field has a first amplitude greater than a second amplitude of the second electric field.

[0080] Aspect 13. The semiconductor device of aspect 12, wherein the first electric field and the second electric field are configured to dissipate when exposed to a voltage having at least a threshold.

[0081] Aspect 14. The semiconductor device of aspect 13, wherein a voltage having at least a threshold is generated in response to exposure to at least a threshold temperature.

[0082] Aspect 15. The semiconductor device according to aspect 13 or 14, wherein ions disposed in the reservoir move into the one or more channel regions in response to dissipation of the first electric field and the second electric field.

[0083] Aspect 16. The semiconductor device according to Aspect 15 comprises: a detection circuit, at least partially disposed in the one or more silicon oxide regions and electrically coupled to the gate region, wherein an additional voltage applied to the detection circuit indicates whether ions have diffused into the one or more channel regions.

[0084] Aspect 17. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the ions include ions of one or more metals.

[0085] Aspect 18. The semiconductor device according to aspect 17, wherein the one or more metals of the shell are different from the one or more metals of the ions.

[0086] Aspect 19. The semiconductor device according to aspect 17 or 18, wherein the one or more metals of the ions include one or more positively charged alkali metal ions.

[0087] Aspect 20. A semiconductor device comprising: an ion reservoir; and a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices for controlling the diffusion of ions from the reservoir to one or more channel regions of the plurality of MOS devices.

[0088] Aspect 21. A semiconductor device according to Aspect 20, wherein the plurality of MOS devices include a first gate region connected in series with a second gate region; a first electric field having a first amplitude is generated relative to the first gate region; and a second electric field having a second amplitude is generated relative to the second gate region, the second amplitude being smaller than the first amplitude.

[0089] Aspect 22. The semiconductor device according to aspect 21, wherein the plurality of MOS devices are configured such that a voltage having at least a threshold value applied to the first gate region dissipates the first electric field and the second electric field and causes at least a portion of the ions to diffuse into the one or more channel regions.

[0090] Aspect 23. A method, comprising: providing a certain amount of ions; bringing a reservoir region of a semiconductor device into contact with the certain amount of ions so that the certain amount of ions are stored in the reservoir region, the semiconductor device comprising: one or more silicon oxide regions arranged adjacent to the reservoir region; one or more channel regions arranged below the reservoir region and below the one or more silicon oxide regions, the one or more channel regions comprising one or more metal oxide materials; and a diffusion control device coupled to the reservoir region and including the one or more channel regions, wherein the electric field generated by the diffusion control device controls the diffusion of the ions from the reservoir region into the one or more channel regions.

[0091] Aspect 24. The method according to aspect 23 comprises: providing a solution containing a certain amount of ions; contacting the reservoir area with the solution; and arranging the ions in the reservoir area by applying heat to the solution and the reservoir area.

[0092] Aspect 25. The method according to aspect 24, wherein contacting the reservoir area with the solution comprises placing a droplet of the solution on the reservoir area using a printing device.

[0093] Aspect 26. A method according to aspect 24 or 25, wherein heat is applied to the solution and the reservoir region using a laser.

[0094] Aspect 27. The method according to any one of aspects 24-26, comprising: applying a voltage to a detection circuit of the semiconductor device to determine whether ions have moved from the reservoir region to the one or more channel regions.

[0095] Each non-limiting aspect or example described herein may stand alone or in various permutations or combinations with one or more other examples.

[0096] The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the detailed description. The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention can be practiced by way of illustration. These implementations are also referred to as "examples" in this article. These examples may include elements other than those shown or described. However, the inventors also consider examples that only provide the shown or described elements. In addition, the inventors also consider examples using any combination or permutation of those elements (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described, whether with respect to a specific example (or another one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or two or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

[0097] In the event of an inconsistency in usage between this document and any document incorporated by reference, the usage in this document controls.

[0098] In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are commonly used in patent documents to include one or more, independent of any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more". In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to non-exclusivity, or "A or B" includes "A but not B", "B but not A", and "A and B", unless otherwise stated. In this document, the terms "including" and "wherein" are used as the plain English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein". In addition, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, systems, devices, articles, compositions, preparations, or methods that include additional elements in addition to the elements listed after the term in the claim are still considered to fall within the scope of the claim. In addition, in the following claims, the terms "first", "second", and "third", etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0099] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the above examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other implementations may be used, such as those that a person of ordinary skill in the art may use after reading the above description. The abstract is provided to comply with the provisions of Section 1.72(b) of Chapter 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations, so that the reader can quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. The premise of submitting this document is that this document shall not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above detailed description, various features may be combined together to simplify the present disclosure. This should not be interpreted as meaning that unclaimed public features are essential to any claim. On the contrary, the subject matter of the present invention may lie in the partial features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, each claim exists independently as a separate embodiment, and it is conceivable that these embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the attached claims and the full scope of equivalents enjoyed by these claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising: an ion reservoir having an outer shell and an interior region, wherein the ions are disposed in the interior region and the outer shell comprises one or more metals; one or more silicon oxide regions disposed adjacent to the ion reservoir; one or more channel regions disposed below the reservoir and below the one or more silicon oxide regions, the one or more channel regions comprising one or more metal oxide materials; and An ion diffusion control device is coupled to the reservoir and includes the one or more channel regions, wherein an electric field generated by the ion diffusion control device controls diffusion of the ions from the reservoir to the one or more channel regions.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the ion diffusion control device comprises a metal oxide semiconductor device, the metal oxide semiconductor device comprising at least a portion of the channel region of the one or more channel regions and comprising a gate region, the gate region comprising one or more polysilicon materials.

3. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the ion diffusion control device is a first diffusion control device, including a first portion of the channel region and a first portion of the gate region, and the semiconductor device includes a second diffusion control device, the second diffusion control device including a second portion of the channel region and a second portion of the gate region. 4 . The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the gate region and the second portion of the gate region is coupled to a gate electrical contact, and the channel region is coupled to a source electrical contact.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the channel region comprises: a first expansion zone located below the reservoir and having a first height; a second expansion region having a second height; a first contraction region coupling the first expansion region to the second expansion region and having a third height; and a second contraction region coupled to the second expansion region and having a fourth height; The first height and the second height are greater than the third height and the fourth height.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein: A first portion of the gate region is disposed above the first contraction region; A second portion of the gate region is disposed above the second contraction region; and A first length of the first contraction zone is greater than a second length of the second contraction zone.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 comprises a silicon layer arranged below the one or more channel regions, the silicon layer having one or more p-type doped regions containing a certain amount of one or more p-type dopants and one or more n-type doped regions containing a certain amount of one or more n-type dopants.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the silicon layer comprises a first n-type doped region of the one or more n-type doped regions disposed below the first expansion region, and a second n-type doped region of the one or more n-type doped regions coupled to the source electrical contact. 9 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the first n-type doping region has a first concentration of the one or more n-type dopants, the first concentration being less than a second concentration of the one or more n-type dopants included in the second n-type doping region. 10 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the silicon layer comprises a p-type doped region of one or more p-type doped regions disposed below the first contraction region, below the second expansion region, below the second contraction region, and below the second n-type doped region. 11 . The semiconductor device according to claim 10 , wherein the silicon layer comprises a third n-type doping region disposed below the first n-type doping region and the p-type doping region.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a first electric field exists in the first diffusion control device and a second electric field exists in the second diffusion control device, wherein the first electric field has a first magnitude greater than a second magnitude of the second electric field. 13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the first electric field and the second electric field are configured to dissipate when exposed to a voltage having at least a threshold.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein a voltage having at least a threshold is generated in response to exposure to at least a threshold temperature. 15 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein ions disposed in the reservoir move into the one or more channel regions in response to dissipation of the first electric field and the second electric field.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, comprising: A detection circuit is at least partially disposed in the one or more silicon oxide regions and electrically coupled to the gate region, wherein application of an additional voltage to the detection circuit indicates whether ions have diffused into the one or more channel regions.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the ions include one or more positively charged alkali metal ions.

18. A semiconductor device comprising: ion reservoirs; and A plurality of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices are provided for controlling diffusion of ions from the reservoir to one or more channel regions of the plurality of MOS devices.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein: The plurality of MOS devices include a first gate region connected in series with a second gate region; generating a first electric field having a first magnitude relative to the first gate region; and A second electric field having a second magnitude is generated relative to the second gate region, wherein the second magnitude is smaller than the first magnitude.

20. A method comprising: Provide a certain amount of ions; contacting a reservoir region of a semiconductor device with the certain amount of ions so that the certain amount of ions is stored in the reservoir region, the semiconductor device comprising: one or more silicon oxide regions disposed adjacent to the reservoir region; one or more channel regions disposed below the reservoir region and below the one or more silicon oxide regions, the one or more channel regions comprising one or more metal oxide materials; and A diffusion control device is coupled to the reservoir region and includes the one or more channel regions, wherein an electric field generated by the diffusion control device controls diffusion of the ions from the reservoir region into the one or more channel regions.

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