Semiconductor Resistor Wire Structure With Oxygen-Rich Control Layer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices shrink in size, there is a need for more flexible resistor designs that can provide various resistance values and maintain electrical stability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an oxygen-rich control layer between the second ILD layer and the resistor wire, made of materials like TiN, to optimize the crystallinity and electrical stability of the resistor wire, which is embedded in multiple ILD layers, and using dummy structures to enhance pattern fidelity during fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If diffusion regions are used to form resistors in substrate, then resistor functionality is achieved, but design flexibility is limited as dimensions decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions resistor formation from the substrate level (2D diffusion regions) to upper conductor layers (3D multilayer structure). By forming resistors in conductor layers above the substrate with controlled thickness and material composition, the design achieves greater flexibility in routing and configuration while accommodating smaller device dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite conductor layer structures with multiple materials (e.g., copper, tungsten, cobalt, platinum) and varying thicknesses to create resistors with tailored electrical properties. This composite approach enables precise control over resistance values and design flexibility that cannot be achieved with traditional single-material diffusion regions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conductor layers are used to form resistors in upper layers, then design flexibility improves, but control over resistance precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the conductor layer into multiple segments with different materials, thicknesses, or compositions within the same resistor structure. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each segment's electrical properties, enabling precise control over total resistance while maintaining design flexibility in the overall layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies multiple parameters including conductor layer thickness, material composition, width, and length to achieve target resistance values. By controlling these parameters during fabrication (e.g., selective etching, deposition thickness control), the method achieves both design flexibility and manufacturing precision for resistor formation.
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
This approach allows for resistors with controlled resistance values and improved electrical and physical stability, enhancing the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating an oxygen-rich control layer between the second ILD layer and the resistor wire, made of materials like TiN, to optimize the crystallinity and electrical stability of the resistor wire
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed over a substrate, a control layer disposed over the first ILD layer and containing silicon and oxygen, and a resistor wire disposed over the control layer. An oxygen concentration of the control layer is greater than an oxygen concentration of the first ILD layer.