1460717717-cbd06a49-ce9e-43b1-a123-5231adfe2d02

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first conductivity type substrate having an impurity concentration;
a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer formed on said substrate and having an impurity concentration lower than the impurity concentration of said substrate;
a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer;
an insulating film formed on said second semiconductor layer;
an inductor formed on said insulating film and having a conducting film defining a width of the inductor; and
a bipolar transistor and a photo diode each being formed on the substrate,
wherein said first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layer are each formed under and at least as long as the width of said inductor,
wherein said photo diode has an anode and a cathode, said first semiconductor layer is comprised of one of the anode and the cathode of said photo diode, and said second semiconductor layer is comprised of another of the anode and the cathode of said photo diode.
2. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first conductivity type substrate having an impurity concentration;
a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer formed on said substrate and having an impurity concentration lower than the impurity concentration of said substrate;
a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer formed on first semiconductor layer;
an insulating film formed on said second semiconductor layer;
an inductor formed on said insulating film and having a conducting film defining a width of the inductor; and
a bipolar transistor and a photo diode each being formed on the substrate,
wherein said first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layer are each formed under and at least as long as the width of said inductor,
wherein said bipolar transistor has a collector and said second semiconductor layer is comprised of the collector of said bipolar transistor.
3. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first conductivity type substrate having an impurity concentration;
an inductor formed over said substrate to define a first region having a width;
a photo diode formed over said substrate, said photo diode having an anode and a cathode;
a bipolar transistor formed over said substrate and having a collector;
a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer formed on said substrate and under said first region, to extend at least as long as said width of said first region, said first semiconductor layer having an impurity concentration lower than said impurity concentration of said substrate, said first semiconductor layer including one of the anode and the cathode of said photo diode;
a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer formed on said first semiconductor layer to extend at least as long as said width of said first region, said second semiconductor layer including another of the anode and the cathode of said photo diode and the collector of said bipolar transistor; and
an insulating film formed on said second semiconductor layer, wherein the inductor is formed on said insulating film.
4. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein said second semiconductor layer is formed between said insulating film and said first semiconductor layer under the first region.
5. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, a region with an impurity concentration higher than said first semiconductor layer is formed under a second region of the semiconductor device which does not correspond to the first region defined by said inductor.

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. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) provide a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols,
(ii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations,
(iii) a plurality of designated winning symbol combination awards associated with said designated winning symbol combinations,
(iv) a payline associated with the reels,
(v) each of the symbol combinations having a probability of being indicated on the payline; and

(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event associated with the base game, initiate an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player and, in said award mode, modify the probabilities of each of the symbol combinations being indicated on the payline including increasing a probability of at least one of said designated winning symbol combination awards being provided to the player in said award mode, by:
(i) effectively decreasing the number of the plurality of reels which are activated in the award mode, and
(ii) for each symbol associated with one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing a probability of said symbol being indicated on the payline in said award mode.
2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of reels which are activated in the award mode is one.
3. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) provide a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols,
(ii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, each of said symbol combinations formed by a number of said symbols,
(iii) a plurality of awards associated with said designated winning symbol combinations,
(iv) a payline associated with the reels, and
(v) each of the symbol combinations having a probability of being indicated on the payline; and

(b) without requiring any additional wager by the player, provide an award mode associated with the base game and, in said award mode, for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increase the probability of designated winning symbol combination being indicated on the payline by effectively decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated on the reels in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination.
4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the number of symbols of said at least one designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated on the reels in the award mode is one symbol.
5. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device configured to display a base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of predefined award symbols, a trigger symbol and at least one wild symbol; and
(ii) a payline associated with the reels, each of the symbols having a probability of being indicated on the payline;

at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) upon a wager by a player, generate a set of symbols from the plurality of symbols on the reels, and
(b) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiate, an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing the probability of said designated winning symbol combination being indicated on the payline by decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination,
(ii) indicating at least one symbol in the award mode, and
(iii) if the at least one indicated symbol provides one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, providing to the player the award associated with said one of the plurality of designated winning symbol combinations.
9. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising:
(a) providing a base game having a plurality of reels, said reels including a plurality of symbols including a plurality of predefined award symbols, a trigger symbol and at least one wild symbol, and wherein each of the symbols is associated with a probability of being indicated on a payline associated with said reels;
(b) upon a wager by a player, activating said plurality of reels to randomly generate a plurality of said symbols on said reels; and
(c) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiating an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) modifying the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with a plurality of the symbols in the award mode, which includes increasing the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with each of said plurality of predefined award symbols,
(ii) activating a decreased number of said plurality of the reels to indicate one of the predefined award symbols in the award mode based on the probabilities, and
(iii) providing an award associated with the indicated predefined award symbol to a player.
10. The method of claim 9, which includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols in the award mode by re-activating the activated reels when one or more designated symbols are indicated on the payline.
11. The method of claim 9, which includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols in the award mode by re-activating the activated reels when the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline.
12. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.
14. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising:
(a) providing a base game having a plurality of reels, said reels including a plurality of symbols including a plurality of award symbols, null, symbols, and at least one trigger symbol, and wherein each of a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations is formed by a number of said symbols, each of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations associated with a probability of being indicated on a payline associated with said reels;
(b) upon a wager by a player, randomly generating a set of symbols from a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels; and
(c) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiating an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with said designated winning symbol combination by decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination,
(ii) indicating at least one symbol in the award mode, and
(iii) if the at least one indicated symbol provides one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, providing to the player an award associated with said one of the winning symbol combinations.
15. The method of claim 14, which is provided through a data network.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data network is an internet.