International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

David G Brochu, Jr

Roger Aime Dufresne

Travis S Merrill

John J Ellis-Monaghan

Baozhen Li

Jeffrey Bowman Johnson

Xuefeng Liu

Fen Chen

Barry P Linder

Ernest Y Wu

James H Stathis

Steven W Mittl

Michael J Hauser

Michael Anthony Shinosky

Dimitris P Ioannou

Methods and test structures for testing the reliability of a dielectric material. The test structure may include a first row of contacts and a line comprised of a conductor. The line is laterally spaced in a direction at a minimum distance from the first row of contacts. The test structure further includes a second row of contacts laterally spaced in the direction from the first row of contacts by a distance equal to two times a minimum pitch. The line is laterally positioned between the first row of contacts and the second row of contacts.

Test structures for dielectric reliability evaluations

A semiconductor device comprising dual L-shaped drift regions in a lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) and a method of making the same. The LDMOS in the semiconductor device comprises a trench isolation region or a deep trench encapsulated by a liner, a first L-shaped drift region, and a second L-shaped drift region. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions is integrated with silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions furnishes a much higher voltage drop in a lateral direction within a much shorter distance from a drain region than the traditional LDMOS does.

Dual L-shaped drift regions in an LDMOS device and method of making the same

Test structures for simultaneously testing for electromigration or stress migration fails and time dependent dielectric breakdown fails in integrated circuits, test circuits using four test structures arranged as a bridge balance circuit and methods of testing using the test circuits. The electromigration or stress migration portions of the test structures include via chains of wire segments connected in series by electrically conductive vias, the wire segments formed in at least two adjacent wiring levels of an integrated circuit. The time dependent dielectric breakdown portions of the test structures include digitized wire structures in one of the at least two adjacent wiring levels adjacent to a less than whole portion of the wire segments in the same wiring level as the digitized wire structures.

Test structure, method and circuit for simultaneously testing time dependent dielectric breakdown and electromigration or stress migration

A method establishes an initial voltage in a ring oscillator and a logic circuit of an integrated circuit device. Following this, the method enables the operating state of the ring oscillator. After enabling the operating state of the ring oscillator, the method steps up to a stressing voltage in the ring oscillator. The initial voltage is approximately one-half the stressing voltage. The stressing voltage creates operating-level stress within the ring oscillator. The method measures the operating-level frequency within the ring oscillator using an oscilloscope (after stepping up to the stressing voltage).

Measuring bias temperature instability induced ring oscillator frequency degradation

Growing community of inventors

East Hardwick, VT, United States of America

David G Brochu, Jr