Performance and reliability of ultra-thin oxide nMOSFETs under variable body bias

This experimental study investigates the performance and the reliability of nMOSFETs with channel length down to 90 nm and an equivalent oxide thickness of about 1.5 nm under variable body bias. Forward body bias allows to achieve a significant improvement in terms of drive capability especially for low voltage applications, while reverse body bias can be used to reduce the standby power. It is shown that forward body bias improves the lifetime associated with channel hot carrier stress, while it does not alter the time dependent dielectric breakdown process. This work indicates that the combined use of forward and reverse body bias is a powerful approach for extending the scalability of CMOS devices.     

Long time reliability study of soldered flip chips on flexible substrates

Due to the requirements of new light, mobile, small and multifunctional electronic products the density of electronic packages continues to increase. Especially in medical electronics like pace makers the minimisation of the whole product size is an important factor. So flip chip technology becomes more and more attractive to reduce the height of an electronic package. At the same time the use of flexible and foldable substrates offers the possibility to create complex electronic devices with a very high density. In terms of human health the reliability of electronic products in medical applications has top priority.In this work flip chip interconnections to a flexible substrate are studied with regard to long time reliability. Test chips and substrates have been designed to give the possibility for electrical measurements. Solder was applied using conventional stencil printing method. The flip chip contacts on flexible substrates were created in a reflow process and underfilled subsequently.The assemblies have been tested according to JEDEC level 3. The focus in this paper is the long time reliability up to 10,000 h in thermal ageing at 125 °C and temperature/humidity testing at 85 °C/85% relative humidity as well as thermal cycling (0 °C/+100 °C) up to 5000 cycles. Daisy chain and four point Kelvin resistances have been measured to characterise the interconnections and monitor degradation effects.The failures have been analysed in terms of metallurgical investigations of formation and growing of intermetallic phases between underbump metallisation, solder bumps and conductor lines. CSAM was used to detect delaminations at the interfaces underfiller/chip and underfiller/substrate respectively.     

Continuous tuning of the mechanical sensitivity of Pentacene OTFTs on flexible substrates: From strain sensors to deformable transistors

The aim of this work is to contribute to establish whether morphological properties prevail over crystal lattice organization in determining the cause for the observed sensitivity of organic semiconductors to mechanical deformations in Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs). To this aim, the morphology of the active layer (made by Pentacene) of OTFTs fabricated on flexible substrates was intentionally modified by properly changing the deposition rate. By comparing Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) investigations and the electrical characterization of the devices, we can conclude that sensitivity is clearly dominated by morphological rather than lattice effects. In addition, these results suggest a simple method for obtaining, in devices based on evaporated small molecules, a fine tuning of the sensitivity to mechanical deformation that could be predictably adjusted in a range that goes from a minimum, practically negligible, value, desirable for applications in flexible electronic circuitry, to a maximum extent, useful for mechanical sensing applications.     

Study of bending reliability and electrical properties of platinum lines on flexible polyimide substrates

We have experimentally studied the variation in electrical resistance of flexible platinum lines patterned on polyimide foil when they are subjected to circular bending constraints. The lines were patterned by means of standard photolithography and sputtering deposition. Two different photolithography masks were used for comparative evaluation: an un-expensive transparency mask and a standard chromium mask. Measurements of the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and time stability of the resistance have been acquired for lines bent down to 1.25 mm radius of curvature on a customized bending setup, showing good reliability results. The robustness of the lines has been also assessed by registering their change in resistance while bending at different radii of curvature. The lines showed reliability issues for radii of curvature below 1.25 mm, presenting a resistance variation of 19% for transparency mask-fabricated lines and 9% for chromium mask-fabricated lines. The worse reliability performances of transparency mask lines, compared to the chromium mask ones, was found to be due to their imperfect edges, which promoted the formation and propagation of cracks during bending. The results of the experiments in this work permitted to compare the performances of flexible conductive lines with different geometry and fabricated with two different masks, establishing quantitative and qualitative bending limits for their appropriate operation in flexible electronics systems.     

High temperature reliability of electrically conductive adhesive attached temperature sensors on flexible polyimide substrates

The attachment and packaging of temperature sensors may be challenging due to their structure and materials. Sensing requires a structure which is open to the environment and the materials often differ from those used in silicon-based electronics. Thus, traditional attachment techniques and materials such as soldering may be inappropriate. Polymer-based electrically conductive adhesives (ECA) are an alternative. The operating environment of a sensor may, however, be very demanding. Very little research data is available on the use of ECAs in challenging conditions, thus restricting their use in many applications. This study tested the behaviour of temperature sensors attached with ECAs onto flexible polyimide (PI) substrates in thermal storage at 200 °C. More than 1000 h of testing without failures were conducted on the ECA sensor structures. Good high temperature reliability therefore seems to be possible with ECAs. However, the PI substrate was observed to be critical to reliability. An adhesive layer used in the PI substrate reacted at the test temperature and severe oxidation of the copper pads and reaction between the materials consequently destroyed the interconnection and caused failures.     

Characterization of p-n junctions under the influence of a time varying mechanical strain

This paper is concerned with the influence of time varying mechanical stress on the electrical properties of p-n junctions. A strain generator based upon a vibrating cantilever beam is described. Data obtained on silicon junctions are presented and compared to a theoretical model for the effects. The results indicate that the major effect of mechanical strain is to change the energy band structure of the semiconductor.     

Processing aspects in the low-frequency noise of nMOSFETs on strained-silicon substrates

The impact of different processing factors on the low-frequency (LF) noise of nMOSFETs fabricated in strained-silicon (SSi) substrates will be described. It is shown that the use of an SSi substrate can yield improved LF noise performance compared with standard Czochralski silicon material. This is demonstrated for both full-wafer and selective epitaxial SSi material. The lower 1/f noise points to an improved gate oxide quality, i.e., with a lower interface and bulk defect density, and is correlated with the low-field mobility or transconductance of the transistors. At the same time, it will be demonstrated that there exist defect-related LF noise mechanisms, which generally give rise to excess generation-recombination (GR) noise. Associated with this GR noise, a degradation of either the OFF-state leakage current or the mobility (transconductance) of the devices is observed. It is clear that noise is a sensitive parameter to local defectiveness and may be a useful tool for both materials' characterization and the analysis of processing-related device degradation mechanisms.     

Reliability of adhesive joined thinned chips on flexible substrates under humid conditions

Thin chips are an interesting option for reducing the thickness of an electronics package. In addition to the reduced size, thinned chips are flexible and can dissipate more heat than thicker ones. Joining of the thin chips can be done using several different techniques. Of these, anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACA) are an interesting option as they have several advantages, such as low bonding temperature and capability for high density interconnections. The reliability of ACA flip chip joints under thermal cycling conditions has been found to increase when thinned chips are used. However, the effect of humidity has not been fully explored. In this study the reliability of thinned chips (50 μm) under humid conditions was investigated using thin flexible substrates. Seven test lots were assembled with thinned chips using two different ACA films and liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyimide (PI) and thin FR-4 substrates. A high humidity and high temperature test was used to study the reliability of the interconnections. A finite element model (FEM) was used to analyse the stresses in the test samples during testing. Several failures occurred during the test and significant differences between the substrates were seen. Additionally, bonding pressure was found to be a critical factor for the reliability under the humid conditions.     

Tensile CESL-induced strain dependence on impact ionization efficiency in nMOSFETs

Process-induced strain dependence of impact ionization efficiency (IIE) in nMOSFETs with a tensile contact etch stop layer (CESL) is presented for the first time. From the universal relationship between the IIE and the electric field in the pinch-off region, a difference in the IIE of nMOSFETs between without and with the tensile CESL is found. This result can be mainly attributed to the narrowing effect of the bandgap energy caused by the tensile CESL-induced strain into the channel, i.e., the reduced threshold energy for impact ionization. In addition, the wafer-bending experiments can further provide strong evidence for the bandgap energy narrowing. It means that the IIE measurement could serve as a reliable monitor of the process-induced strain into the channel.     

轴向应变导致柔性电路的裂化研究

本文研究了在柔性塑料衬底上的均匀的无定形si和siN。薄膜的裂化规律。结果表明，在单轴向拉力应变下，虽然衬底仍保持完整，但是半导体薄膜破裂为直的并行的阵列。当应变大于一个临界值后，裂纹的密度成线性增长。用原子力显微镜对裂纹的宽度和深度进行了表征和分析。     

A comparative study of self-heating effect of nMOSFETs fabricated on SGOI and SGSOAN substrates

In this work, for the first time, the electrical and thermal characteristics of strained Si/SiGe nanoscale n type metal–oxide–silicon field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with silicon-on-aluminum nitride (SOAN) substrate are investigated by ISE TCAD. This novel structure is named as SGSOAN nMOSFET. A comparative study of self-heating effect (SHE) of nMOSFETs fabricated on SGOI and SGSOAN are presented in this paper. Numerical study results show that this novel SGSOAN structure can greatly eliminate excessive self-heating in devices, which gives a more promising application for SGOI to work at high temperature.     

Electrical characterization and reliability study of HEMTs on composite substrates under high electric fields

The electrical characterization, in DC and pulsed regime, and reliability analysis of T-gate high electron mobility transistors built on SiCopSiC and SopSiC composite substrates under high electric fields are here presented. The impact of different gate–drain overhang lengths on the electrical behavior of SiCopSiC devices is also investigated. We will demonstrate that devices can be efficiently realized over the proposed composite substrates, and that performances and robustness are comparable to devices processed on SiC or sapphire. The sensitivity to ESD-like events is also reported, using emission microscope for the failure analysis investigation.     

The performance and fracture mechanism of solder joints under mechanical reliability test

The drop resistance and fracture behavior of Sn–37Pb, Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu (SAC305), Sn–1.0Ag–0.5Cu (SAC105), and Sn–8.5Zn–0.5Ag–0.01Al–0.1 Ga (SnZn-5e) solder ball joints under the board-level drop test (BLDT) and the ball impact test (BIT) were studied. The results show that the drop reliabilities in terms of the characteristic life ratio from the Weibul plot are SnZn-5e : Sn–37Pb:SAC105:SAC305 = 3.1:2.9:2.1:1. It was observed that failure of Sn–37Pb occurred at the eutectic tin–lead phase whereas it took place at the brittle interface between the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ inter-metallic compound and Ni layer in SAC305. The failure of SAC105 was found to be located within the solder matrix as well as at the interface of the inter-metallic compound. The failure of SnZn-5e depends on the morphology of the interfacial inter-metallic compound. The failure modes of Sn–37Pb and SAC305 after the BIT were similar to those after the BLDT. The maximum impact force (F_max) and the initial fracture energy (E) from the BIT can be used to evaluate the drop reliability of solder joints.     

The impact of mobility enhanced technology on device performance and reliability for sub-90 nm SOI nMOSFETs

For SOI nMOSFET, the impact of high tensile stress contact etch stop layer (CESL) on device performance and reliability was investigated. In this work, device driving capability can be enhanced with thicker CESL, larger LOD and narrower gate width. With electrical and body potential inspection, serious device’s degradation happened on SOI-MOSFET with narrow gate device because of STI-induced edge current.     

All-inkjet-printed dissolved oxygen sensors on flexible plastic substrates

Inkjet printing is a promising alternative manufacturing method to conventional standard microfabrication techniques for the development of flexible and low-cost devices. Although the use of inkjet printing for the deposition of selected materials for the development of sensor devices has been reported many times in literature, it is still a challenge and a potential route towards commercialization to completely manufacture sensor devices with inkjet technology. In this work is demonstrated the fabrication of a functional low-cost dissolved oxygen (DO) amperometric sensor with feature sizes in the micrometer range using inkjet printing. All the required technological steps for the fabrication of a complete electrochemical three electrodes system are discussed in detail. The working and counter electrodes have been printed using a gold nanoparticle ink, whereas a silver nanoparticle ink was used to print a pseudo-reference electrode. Both inks are commercially available and can be sintered at low temperatures, starting already at 120 °C, which allows the use of plastic substrates. In addition, a printable SU8 ink formulation cured by UV is applied as passivation layer in the sensor device. Finally, as the performance of analytical methods strongly depends on the working electrode material, is demonstrated the electrochemical feasibility of this printed DO sensor, which shows a linear response in the range between 0 and 8 mg L⁻¹ of DO, and affords a detection limit of 0.11 mg L⁻¹, and a sensitivity of 0.03 μA L mg⁻¹. The use of flexible plastic substrates and biocompatible inks, and the rapid prototyping and low-cost of the fabricated sensors, makes that the proposed manufacturing approach opens new opportunities in the field of biological and medical sensor applications.     

Low noise RF MOSFETs on flexible plastic substrates

We report a low minimum noise figure (NF/sub min/) of 1.1 dB and high associated gain (12 dB at 10 GHz) for 16 gate-finger 0.18-/spl mu/m RF MOSFETs, after thinning down the Si substrate to 30 /spl mu/m and mounting it on plastic. The device performance was improved by flexing the substrate to create stress, which produced a 25% enhancement of the saturation drain current and lowered NF/sub min/ to 0.92 dB at 10 GHz. These excellent results for mechanically strained RF MOSFETs on plastic compare well with 0.13-/spl mu/m node (L/sub g/=80 nm) devices.     

Printed microinductors on flexible substrates for power applications

A low-profile microinductor was fabricated on a copper-clad polyimide substrate where the current carrying coils were patterned from the existing metallization layer and the magnetic core was printed using a magnetic ceramic-polymer composite material. Highly loaded ferrite-polymer composite materials were formulated, yielding adherent films with 4/spl pi/M/sub s//spl ap/3900 G at +5000 Oe applied DC field. These composite magnetic films combine many of the superior properties of high temperature ceramic magnetic materials with the inherent processibility of polymer thick films. Processing temperatures for the printed films were between 100/spl deg/C and 130/spl deg/C, facilitating integration with a wide range of substrates and components. The quality factor of the microinductor was found to peak at Q=18.5 near 10 MHz, within the optimal frequency range for power applications. A flat, nearly frequency independent inductance of 1.33 /spl mu/H was measured throughout this frequency range for a 5 mm/spl times/5 mm component, with a DC resistance of 2.6 /spl Omega/ and a resonant frequency of 124 MHz. The combination of printed ceramic composites with organic/polymer substrates enables new methods for embedding passive components and ultimately the integration of high Q inductors with standard integrated circuits for low profile power electronics.     

Low-temperature materials and thin-film transistors for electronics on flexible substrates

The deposition processes and electronic properties of thin-film semiconductors and insulators based on silicon in relation to the fabrication of electronic devices on flexible plastic substrates are considered. The films of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H), nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si), and amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN_x), and also thin-film transistors are fabricated at comparatively low temperatures (120°C, 75°C) using existing commercial plasma-chemical equipment. The parameters of thin-film transistors based on a-Si:H and fabricated at the aforementioned relatively low temperatures are compatible with those of high-temperature analogues.     

Effects of metallization thickness of ceramic substrates on the reliability of power assemblies under high temperature cycling

This study focuses on the influence of metallization thickness of ceramic substrates on reliability and lifetime of electronic power assemblies under high temperature cycling. The paper presents experimental and numerical results on different test vehicles with a number of DCB substrates with AlN ceramic and different copper thicknesses. It will be shown the influence of the DCB metallization on failure modes such as ceramic fracture and solder delamination under high temperature cycles. Finally, these samples will be compared with DCB substrates equipped with dimples and DAB substrates. Furthermore, the main factors that could increase the lifetime expectancy of power modules in such harsh environments will be identified.