Concentric Capacitor Structure for High Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in miniaturizing capacitors for ICs while maintaining high capacitance density and low parasitic capacitance, as conventional capacitor designs often require larger areas and suffer from process variations, limiting their integration and performance in advanced semiconductor applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of integrated capacitor structures utilizing metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with vertical metal walls or meshes, featuring intralayer and interlayer capacitive coupling, and switching mechanisms like MOSFETs or diodes to achieve high resolution and tunable capacitance without increasing layout area, thereby enhancing capacitance density and reducing parasitic capacitance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional capacitor designs are used, then capacitance is achieved, but area consumption increases and capacitance density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar capacitor structures to vertical three-dimensional structures by forming conductive posts extending through multiple dielectric layers. This vertical dimensionality change enables higher capacitance density within the same footprint area, directly resolving the contradiction between area consumption and capacitance density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested capacitor structures where inner conductive posts are surrounded by outer conductive posts, with multiple capacitive elements nested within each other across different metal layers. This nesting approach maximizes the use of available space, achieving high capacitance density without increasing the overall area footprint.
2Area of moving object
If capacitor size is reduced for miniaturization, then integration is improved, but process variations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the capacitor structure into multiple discrete conductive posts separated by dielectric material, with each post forming an independent capacitive element. This segmentation allows for better process control and reduced mutual interference, minimizing process variations even as overall capacitor size is reduced for miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs different material compositions and structural configurations for inner versus outer conductive posts, optimizing each region's properties for its specific function. This local quality approach enables precise control over electrical characteristics while maintaining manufacturing precision across the miniaturized structure.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If parasitic capacitance is reduced, then RF characteristics improve, but design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates parasitic capacitance elements into distinct structures, allowing them to be independently managed and compensated. By taking out parasitic effects from the main capacitive function, the design achieves low parasitic capacitance while maintaining manageable complexity through modular organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric configurations where inner and outer conductive posts have different dimensions, materials, or arrangements optimized for their specific roles. This asymmetry enables differential signaling and parasitic cancellation, improving RF characteristics while the systematic asymmetric design keeps complexity manageable.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These structures provide high capacitance density, low parasitic capacitance, and improved matching characteristics, enabling efficient use of silicon chip area and reducing process variations, thus supporting advanced semiconductor applications with enhanced performance and integration.
Implementation Method 1
at least one concentric capacitor is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Each of the at least one concentric capacitors comprise a first plurality of capacitive perimeter plates formed on a first routing layer and a second plurality of capacitive perimeter plates formed on a second routing layer
Data Source
AI summary
A concentric capacitor structure generally comprising concentric capacitors is disclosed. Each concentric capacitor comprises a first plurality of perimeter plates formed on a first layer of a substrate and a second plurality of perimeter plates formed on a second layer of the substrate. The first plurality of perimeter plates extend in a first direction and the second plurality of perimeter plates extend in a second direction different than the first direction. A first set of the first plurality of perimeter plates is electrically coupled to a first set of the second plurality of perimeter plates and a second set of the first plurality of perimeter plates is electrically coupled to a second set of the second plurality of perimeter plates. A plurality of capacitive cross-plates are formed in the first layer such that each cross-plate overlaps least two of the second plurality of perimeter plates.