Gate Electrode Material Feature for ESD Current Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits, particularly MOS transistors, are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD) due to snapback issues in multiple channel configurations, which can lead to uneven current distribution and increased stress, and existing solutions like silicide application or external ballasting are costly or inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating gate electrode material features adjacent to the gate width side of the gate electrode to break silicide regions into multiple portions, providing ballasting without additional processing steps and reducing current crowding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicide is applied to source and drain regions to improve performance, then surface resistance decreases, but current crowding and edge degradation increase due to rough silicide edges
Solution Approach 1:
The silicide region is segmented into multiple portions by the gate electrode material feature, which breaks the continuous silicide into discrete sections. This segmentation prevents current crowding at the silicide edges while maintaining low surface resistance in each silicide portion, thereby resolving the contradiction between improved performance and reduced current crowding.
2Reliability
If external ballasting is used to distribute ESD current evenly, then current distribution improves, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode material feature is merged with the existing gate electrode structure, forming an integrated solution that provides both the gate function and the ballasting effect. This combination eliminates the need for separate external ballasting structures, thereby distributing ESD current evenly while avoiding increased device complexity and manufacturing cost.
3Power
If multiple channels are used to conduct ESD current, then current handling capacity increases, but snapback effects cause uneven current distribution among channels
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode material feature creates local variations in the electrical characteristics of the silicide region, introducing different resistance values in different areas. This local quality variation provides ballasting that ensures uniform current distribution among multiple channels during ESD events, preventing snapback effects while maintaining high current handling capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a semiconductor device, a method of manufacture therefore and an integrated circuit including the same. The semiconductor device (300), without limitation, may include a gate electrode (320) having a gate length (l) and a gate width (w) located over a substrate (310) and a gate electrode material feature (330) located adjacent a gate width (w) side of the gate electrode (320). The semiconductor device (300) may further include a silicide region (350) located over the substrate (310) proximate a side of the gate electrode (320), the gate electrode material feature (330) breaking the silicided region (350) into multiple silicide portions (353, 355, 358).