Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) in the Nano-electronic Era by Dr. Voldman

Abstract:

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) phenomenon today is a reliability concern in semiconductor components, systems from cell phones, laptops, to automotive products. A key question today in the semiconductor industry is whether ESD sensitivity will be a roadblock to the introduction, manufacturability or implementation of today’s technology, and of future nano-structures?  A first question – Is this an issue in the future, or are we already in the ESD roadblock condition today?  To start this dialogue, we must ask where we are today in the present technology, and what is the technical trend that we are experiencing in the electrostatic sensitivity.

In this talk, we will discuss the direction of semiconductor technology from digital, analog and radio frequency (RF) applications. We will first discuss CMOS technology and the ESD Technology Roadmap highlighting the trend in the semiconductor industry; this will be followed by a discussion on the trend in CMOS, Silicon on Insulator (SOI), strained Silicon, to FINFET devices. For RF technology, ESD trends and advances in RF CMOS, BiCMOS Silicon Germanium, Silicon Germanium Carbon, Gallium Arsenide, and RF MEMs will be reviewed.  The presentation will also include the magnetic recording industry’s transition from MR, GMR to tunneling MR (TMR) heads. ESD issues associated with photomasks, and reticles in the mask product process will also be highlighted.    Off-chip protection concepts  such as polymer voltage suppression (PVS) devices will also be discussed.

In the talk,  we will also address some fundamental questions on ESD.  Will we need to lower the ESD standards ?  What is the impact on system developers ? What is the implication for the manufacturing of nano-structures ?  What does the magnetic recording industry know that the semiconductor industry does not? What does this mean for manufacturing science and materials?  What is the global implications of quality and reliability ?