Semiconductor On-Resistance Measurement Using Shared Electrode
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for measuring on-resistance of semiconductor elements is prone to decreased accuracy due to increased resistance between the stage and the wafer, caused by gaps between the stage and the wafer, which affects the measurement accuracy of the resistance between the main electrodes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a wafer with vertical type semiconductor elements, where the second electrode at the rear surface is shared and used for measurement, with measurement terminals contacting the first electrode while applying a control signal, ensuring current passes only through the shared electrode, reducing the impact of stage-wafer resistance on measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the wafer is placed on the stage with the second electrode in contact with the place surface, then the measurement setup is simple and easy to implement, but the resistance between the stage and the wafer increases due to gaps, decreasing measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement method segments the current path by using two separate measurement terminals that contact different semiconductor elements, forcing the current to flow only through the shared second electrode rather than through the stage-wafer interface. This segmentation isolates the measurement path from the problematic stage-wafer contact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared second electrode acts as an intermediary that provides a dedicated electrical pathway between the semiconductor elements. By routing the measurement current through this intermediary electrode rather than through the stage contact, the measurement becomes independent of the stage-wafer contact quality.
2Measurement precision
If the resistance between the stage and the wafer is reduced by improving contact, then measurement accuracy improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement method extracts the critical measurement function from the stage-wafer contact interface and relocates it to the semiconductor element terminals. By taking the measurement path away from the problematic contact interface and placing it directly at the element terminals, the system eliminates the need for complex contact improvement mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If measurement terminals contact the first electrode of different semiconductor elements while applying control signals, then the on-resistance measurement becomes more accurate by isolating the current path, but the measurement process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shared second electrode serves multiple functions: it acts as a common electrical connection for multiple semiconductor elements, provides the measurement current return path, and enables differential measurement between elements. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall measurement process despite the multi-terminal configuration.
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 restricts the decrease in measurement accuracy of on-resistance by minimizing the resistance between measurement terminals and maintaining accurate resistance measurements even when stage-wafer resistance is increased, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a resistance between the first measurement terminal and the second measurement terminal
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes preparing a wafer that includes semiconductor elements, placing the wafer on a stage so that a second electrode is in contact with a place surface of the stage, and measuring an on-resistance of at least one of the semiconductor elements with a first measurement terminal and a second measurement terminal. The on-resistance is measured by contacting the first measurement terminal to a first electrode of one of the semiconductor elements to be measured while applying a control signal to a control electrode of the one of the semiconductor elements, contacting the second measurement terminal to a first electrode of another one of the semiconductor elements while applying the control signal to a control electrode of the another one of the semiconductor elements, and measuring a resistance between the first measurement terminal and the second measurement terminal.