1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface;
forming a first insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;
forming a mask layer having a first opening on the first insulating layer, the first opening of the mask layer defining a location of a first doping region in the semiconductor substrate;
performing a first implantation step using the mask layer as an implantation mask to form the first doping region in the semiconductor substrate;
etching the first insulating layer selectively with respect to the mask layer to expose a portion of the first doping region by forming a first opening in the first insulating layer using the mask layer as an etching mask;
forming a second insulating layer on the mask layer to cover the first opening in the mask layer, the material of the first and second insulating layers being selectively etchable with respect to the material of the mask layer;
forming an etching mask on the second insulating layer for defining at least a first opening in the second insulating layer above the first opening of the mask layer;
etching the second insulating layer selectively with respect to the etching mask and the mask layer to form the first opening in the second insulating layer, the first opening of the second insulating layer exposing the first opening in the mask layer; and
depositing a conductive material to form at least one contact element disposed in the first opening formed in the first insulating layer, the first opening formed in the second insulating layer and the first opening formed in the mask layer, the contact element being in contact with the first doping region and the mask layer.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first opening in the first insulating layer is etched after etching the first opening in the second insulating layer.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer comprises a conductive material.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer comprises polysilicon or CrSi2.
5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
forming a second opening in the mask layer laterally spaced apart from the first opening in the mask layer, the second opening in the mask layer defining a location of a second doping region in the semiconductor substrate;
forming the second doping region in the semiconductor substrate together with the first doping region by implanting the dopants.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the second insulating layer covers the second opening in the mask layer, the method further comprising:
forming a contact opening in the first and second insulating layers, the contact opening extending through the second opening of the mask layer and being laterally spaced apart from the mask layer.
7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the second doping region laterally surrounds the first doping region.
8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
forming an auxiliary mask on the first insulating layer, the auxiliary mask defining a second opening of the mask layer laterally spaced apart from the first opening of the mask layer, the second opening defining a location of a second doping region in the semiconductor substrate;
forming the second doping region in the semiconductor substrate together with the first doping region by the first implantation step using the mask layer and the auxiliary mask together as an implantation mask.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first doping region forms an emitter contact region extending to the first surface, the method further comprising:
forming an emitter region of the same conductivity as the emitter contact region, wherein the emitter contact region is embedded in the emitter region and has a higher doping concentration than the emitter region.
10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
performing a second implantation step with dopants of the same conductivity type as the first implantation step to form a contact doping region in the first doping region using the mask layer as an implantation mask, the contact doping region having a higher doping concentration than the first doping region.
11. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a first doping region;
a first insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first insulating layer having a first opening arranged above the first doping region;
a mask layer on the first insulating layer and having a first opening, the first opening in the first insulating layer and the first opening in the mask layer being laterally centred with respect to the first doping region;
a second insulating layer on the mask layer and having a first opening above the first opening of the mask layer; and
at least a first contact element arranged in the first opening of the second insulating layer, the first opening of the mask layer and the first opening of the first insulating layer, the first contact element electrically connecting the first doping region with the mask layer.
12. A semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a doping area of a first conductivity type, wherein the first doping region is of a second conductivity type and arranged in the doping area of the semiconductor substrate.
13. A semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the mask layer comprises an electrically conductive material.
14. A semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the contact element comprises a conductive material different than the conductive material of the mask layer.
15. A semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the semiconductor device is a first bipolar transistor and the first doping region forms an emitter region of the bipolar transistor.
16. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, further comprising a second bipolar transistor having an emitter region and a contact element in electrical contact with the emitter region of the second bipolar transistor, wherein the mask layer electrically connects the first contact element of the first bipolar transistor with the contact element of the second bipolar transistor.
17. A semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a contact doping region arranged in the first doping region, the contact doping region having the same conductivity type as the first doping region and a higher doping concentration than the first doping region, the contact doping region being laterally centred with respect to the mask layer.
18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a first doping region and a second doping region laterally spaced from the first doping region, a first insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive mask layer having at least a first opening and a second opening spaced apart from the first opening on the first insulating layer, the first opening of the conductive mask layer being arranged above the first doping region and the second opening of the conductive mask layer being arranged above the second doping region;
forming a second insulating layer on the conductive mask layer to cover the first and second openings in the conductive mask layer, the material of the first and second insulating layers being selectively etchable with respect to the material of the conductive mask layer;
forming an etching mask on the second insulating layer for defining a first opening and a second opening of the second insulating layer;
etching the second insulating layer selectively with respect to the etching mask and the conductive mask layer to form the first opening and the second opening of the second insulating layer, the first opening of the second insulating layer exposing the first opening in the conductive mask layer and the second opening of the second insulating layer exposing the second opening in the conductive mask layer;
etching the first insulating layer using the conductive mask layer as an etching mask to form a first and a second opening in the first insulating layer for exposing at least a respective portion of the first and second doping regions; and
depositing a conductive material to form a first contact element disposed in the first opening formed in the first insulating layer, in the first opening formed in the second insulating layer and in the first opening formed in the conductive mask layer, and a second contact element disposed in the second opening formed in the first insulating layer, in the second opening formed in the second insulating layer and in the second opening formed in the conductive mask layer, the first contact element being in electrical contact with the first doping region and the conductive mask layer, and the second contact element being in electrical contact with the second doping region and the conductive mask layer.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the first opening in the conductive mask layer defines a location of the first doping region, and the second opening in the conductive mask layer defines a location of the second opening; the method further comprising:
performing an implantation step using the conductive mask layer as an implantation mask to form the first doping region and the second doping region in the semiconductor substrate.
20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:
forming a first metallization region and a second metallization region spaced apart from the first metallization region on the second insulating layer, the first metallization region being in electrical contact with the first contact element and the second metallization region being in electrical contact with the second contact element.
21. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a first doping region and a second doping region laterally spaced apart from the first doping region;
a first insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and having a first opening and a second opening;
a conductive mask layer on the first insulating layer and having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening of the conductive mask layer being arranged above the first opening of the first insulating layer and the second opening of the conductive mask layer being arranged above the second opening of the first insulating layer;
a second insulating layer on the conductive mask layer and having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening of the second insulating layer arranged above the first opening of the conductive mask layer, and the second opening of the second insulating layer arranged above the second opening of the conductive mask layer;
a first contact element disposed in the first opening of the first insulating layer, the first opening of the conductive mask layer and the first opening of the second insulating layer, the first contact element being in electrical contact with the first doping region and the conductive mask layer; and
a second contact element disposed in the second opening of the first insulating layer, the second opening of the conductive mask layer and the second opening of the second insulating layer, the second contact element being in electrical contact with the second doping region and the conductive mask layer.
22. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, further comprising:
a first metallization region and a second metallization region spaced apart from the first metallization region on the second insulating layer, the first metallization region being in electrical contact with the first contact element and the second metallization region being in electrical contact with the second contact element.
23. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein the first doping region is laterally centred with respect to the first opening of the conductive mask layer and the second doping region is laterally centred with respect to the second opening of the conductive mask layer.
24. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein the first and second insulating layers are in contact with each other in egions outside of the conductive mask layer, the first and second insulating layers having a third opening and a third contact element spaced apart from the first and the second contact elements.
25. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a doping area of a first conductivity type, a first doping region of a second conductivity type arranged in the doping area, and a contact doping region of the second conductivity type arranged in the first doping region at the first surface, the contact doping region having a higher doping concentration than the first doping region;
a first insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first insulating layer having a first opening above the contact doping region;
a mask layer on the first insulating layer and having a first opening, the first opening in the first insulating layer and the first opening in the mask layer being laterally centred with respect to the contact doping region;
a second insulating layer on the mask layer and having a first opening above the first opening of the mask layer; and
at least one contact element arranged in the first opening of the second insulating layer, in the first opening of the mask layer and in the first opening of the first insulating layer, the contact element electrically connecting the contact doping region with the mask layer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to store a direct tunnel context,
the direct tunnel context comprising a field or flag indicating whether or not a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and a radio network, the direct tunnel context further comprising at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a serving node; wherein the processor is further configured to check, when receiving an error indication from the radio network, whether a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and the radio network, and if it is determined that the direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and the radio network to inform the serving node that the error indication has been received from the radio network and to send, after receipt of the error indication, user traffic or packets to the serving node using at least one of the tunnel endpoint identifier and the address of the user plane of the serving node.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the direct tunnel context further comprises at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a controller of the radio network.
3. The apparatus claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a gateway or a gateway general packet radio service support node.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an update message from the serving node after a change procedure of changing an address or tunnel endpoint identifier of the serving node, the update message including at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier or Internet protocol address of a user plane of the serving node and a tunnel endpoint identifier or Internet protocol address of a user plane of a controller of the radio network.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to send a packet data protocol context update message to the serving node, for triggering the serving node to re-establish a radio access bearer.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to reset the field or flag so as to indicate that the direct tunnel to the radio network will no longer be used, to remove a radio network controller address and to forward subsequent packets to the serving node.
7. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to store a direct tunnel context, the direct tunnel context comprising a field or flag indicating whether or not a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and a radio network, the direct tunnel context further comprising at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a serving node; wherein the processor is further configured to determine, when receiving an error indication for a packet data context, whether said packet data context is a direct tunnel packet data context,
and to use user plane end point information relating to the serving node for initiating a recovery process if it is determined that said packet data context is a direct tunnel packet data context,
where said recovery process comprises informing the serving node of the receipt of the error indication for the direct packet data context and routing a received data packet for said direct tunnel packet data context from the apparatus to the serving node.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recovery process includes re-establishing one or more radio access bearers in the radio network.
9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recovery process includes informing the apparatus on a new tunnel endpoint identifier and address of a user plane of a controller of the radio network.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to establish a direct tunnel to the controller based on the new tunnel endpoint identifier and address of the user plane of the controller of the radio network.
11. A method comprising:
storing a direct tunnel context, the direct tunnel context comprising a field or flag indicating whether or not a direct tunnel is established between an apparatus and a radio network, and at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a serving node; and
in response to receiving an error indication from the radio network, checking whether a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and the radio network, and if the direct tunnel is established informing the serving node that the error indication has been received from the radio network and sending user traffic or packets to the serving node using at least one of the tunnel endpoint identifier and the address of the user plane of the serving node.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the direct tunnel context further comprises at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a controller of the radio network.
13. A method comprising:
receiving first user plane end point information for a packet data context to be established, the first user plane end point information indicating a serving node,
receiving second user plane end point information for a packet data context, the packet data context including a direct tunnel indication indicating that said packet data context is a direct tunnel packet data context,
storing said first and second user plane end point information,
using said second user plane end point information for routing packet data flow for said packet data context,
determining, when receiving an error indication for said packet data context from a radio network, whether said packet data context is a direct tunnel packet data context,
and to use said first user plane end point information for initiating a recovery process with the serving node if it is determined that said packet data context is a direct tunnel packet data context,
where said recovery process comprises informing the serving node of the receipt of the error indication for the direct packet data context and routing a received data packet for said direct tunnel packet data context to the serving node.
14. Method according to claim 13, further comprising at least one of:
said first user plane end point information is received in a create packet data context request;
said second user plane end point information is received in an update packet data context request.
15. Method according to claim 13, further comprising at least one of:
the serving node keeps a tunnel endpoint identifier previously allocated to a gateway for downlink traffic;
the serving node maintains or stores the information on the tunnel endpoint identifier allocated to the gateway for downlink traffic;
the serving node uses the information on the tunnel endpoint identifier allocated to the gateway for downlink traffic for sending information to the gateway.
16. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:
program code instructions for storing a direct tunnel context, the direct tunnel context comprising a field or flag indicating whether or not a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and a radio network, the direct tunnel context further comprising at least one of a tunnel endpoint identifier and an address of a user plane of a serving node; and
wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprising program code instructions for checking, when receiving an error indication from the radio network, whether a direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and the radio network, and if it is determined that the direct tunnel is established between the apparatus and the radio network informing the serving node that the error indication has been received from the radio network and sending user traffic or packets to the serving node using at least one of the tunnel endpoint identifier and the address of the user plane of the serving node.