Characterization of electrostatic discharge threshold voltage of phase-shift mask reticle

A reticle is a stencil used in lithography process for forming integrated circuit (IC) on silicon substrate. It consists of a thin (100 nm) coating of masking metallic patterned (features) with critical dimension (CD) of nanometers on a thicker quartz substrate. The features can be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD) when exposed to the environment electrostatic charge and caused deformed IC and eventually device difunctional. Semiconductor equipment materials industry (SEMI) standard established the allowable electrostatic charge on reticle based on the characterization of ESD threshold voltage on binary reticle. However, there is another type of reticle which is phase-shift mask (PSM), has not been characterized for its ESD threshold voltage. A direct current (DC) voltage is applied directly to the structures with CD of 80 nm, 110 nm, and 160 nm. The surface current is recorded at all levels of stress from 1 to 100 V. The current–voltage (IV) curve and physical inspection results for each cell are then reviewed and classified. The results yielded which no electric field induced migration (EFM) defect and breakdown voltage occurred at any of the structures. The cathode’s metal work function has been identified as the factor that influences the PSM reticle ESD threshold voltage.

Path planning of patrol robot based on improved discrete electrostatic discharge algorithm

Safety is the premise of the stable and sustainable development of the chemical industry, safety accidents will not only cause casualties and economic losses, but also cause panic among workers and nearby residents. Robot safety inspection based on the fire risk level in a chemical industrial park can effectively reduce process accident losses and can even prevent accidents. The optimal inspection path is an important support for patrol efficiency, therefore, in this study, the fire risk level of each location to be inspected, which is obtained by the electrostatic discharge algorithm (ESDA)–nonparallel support vector machine evaluation model, is combined with the optimisation of the inspection path; that is, the fire risk level is used to guide the inspection path planning. The inspection path planning problem is a typical travelling salesman problem (TSP). The discrete ESDA (DESDA), based on the ESDA, is proposed. In view of the shortcomings of the long convergence time and ease of falling into the local optimum of the DESDA, further improvements are proposed in the form of the IDESDA, in which the greedy algorithm is used for the initial population, the 2-opt algorithm is applied to generate new solutions, and the elite set is joined to provide the best segment for jumping out of the local optimum. In the experiments, 11 public calculation examples were used to verify the algorithm performance. The IDESDA exhibited higher accuracy and better stability when solving the TSP. Its application to chemical industrial parks can effectively solve the path optimisation problem of patrol robots.

Forensic Engineering Investigation of Electrical and Electronic Causes of an Industrial Equipment Failure

This case involved industrial equipment whose repeated, seemingly random failures resulted in the buyer of that equipment suing the seller. The failures had been isolated to a group of several transistors within electro-mechanical modules within the equipment, but the root cause of those transistors failing had not been determined. The equipment seller had more than 1,000 units in the field with no similar failures. And the electro-mechanical module manufacturer had more than 20,000 units in the field with no similar failures. Electrical contractors hired by the buyer had measured power quality, and reported no faults found in the three-phase power at the equipment terminals. This paper presents circuit analyses of the failing electro-mechanical module, basics of electrostatic discharge damage and protection, and the root cause of these failures — an electrical code-violating extraneous neutral-to-ground bond in a secondary power cabinet.

A Review of Sharp-Switching Band-Modulation Devices

This paper reviews the recently-developed class of band-modulation devices, born from the recent progress in fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) and other ultrathin-body technologies, which have enabled the concept of gate-controlled electrostatic doping. In a lateral PIN diode, two additional gates can construct a reconfigurable PNPN structure with unrivalled sharp-switching capability. We describe the implementation, operation, and various applications of these band-modulation devices. Physical and compact models are presented to explain the output and transfer characteristics in both steady-state and transient modes. Not only can band-modulation devices be used for quasi-vertical current switching, but they also show promise for compact capacitorless memories, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, sensing, and reconfigurable circuits, while retaining full compatibility with modern silicon processing and standard room-temperature low-voltage operation.

AUTOMATED RESISTANCE TESTER OF ELECTRONIC MEANS TO ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE

Рассмотрены основные подходы проверки функциональности электронных средств при воздействии электростатического разряда, а также представлены основные этапы разработки автоматизированного тестера устойчивости электронных средств к электростатическому разряду. Электростатический разряд является одним из основных факторов, способствующих снижению надежности и производительности электронных устройств. Предложен подход к повышению качества разработки электронных изделий на основе автоматизированного устройства для тестирования электронных средств на устойчивость к электростатическим разрядам. Представлена концептуальная структура программно-аппаратного комплекса для оценки влияния электростатического разряда на электронные средства. В конструкции испытательного генератора предусмотрены защитные механизмы, предотвращающие создание непреднамеренных излучаемых или кондуктивных электромагнитных помех импульсного или непрерывного характера для исключения паразитных эффектов, способных оказать влияние на испытуемое или вспомогательное оборудование. Целью исследования, в рамках которого происходила разработка тестирующего устройства, является повышение надежности функционирования электронных средств и приборов при воздействии на них электростатических разрядов. Благодаря предлагаемому подходу становится возможным обеспечить эффективность тестирования конструкций электронных средств на устойчивость к электростатическому разряду на основе комплексных методов оптимального проектирования с учетом обеспечения требований международных стандартов The article discusses the main approaches to checking the functionality of electronic devices when exposed to electrostatic discharge. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a major contributor to the reliability and performance of electronic devices. This paper proposes an approach to improving the quality of development of electronic products based on an automated device for testing electronic devices for resistance to electrostatic discharges. We present the conceptual structure of a software and hardware complex for assessing the effect of electrostatic discharge on electronic means. The test generator is designed with protective mechanisms to prevent the creation of unintentional radiated or conducted electromagnetic interference of a pulsed or continuous nature to eliminate parasitic effects that could affect the tested or auxiliary equipment. The purpose of the study, within the framework of which the development of the testing device took place, is to increase the reliability of the functioning of electronic devices and devices when exposed to electrostatic discharges. Thanks to the proposed approach, it becomes possible to ensure the effectiveness of testing the structures of electronic devices for resistance to electrostatic discharge on the basis of complex methods of optimal design, taking into account the requirements of international standards