Electrostatic discharge protection using thin nickel fuse
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A MIS array semiconductor device in which each device comprises:
- (a) a semiconductor substrate,(b) a first insulating layer on said substrate, and(c) an electrically conductive layer on said insulating layer, said conductive layer being patterned into an MIS element, said element including a gate and a fuse, said first insulating layer forming the gate insulator and defining a first via therethrough associated with said MIS element, said fuse being a narrow portion of said conductive layer connected at one end to said gate and connected at the other end to said substrate through said first via, said gate connected to a bond pad, said narrow portion of width being sufficiently thin to blow the fuse with a voltage applied to said gate relative to said substrate that is below the minimum voltage required to damage said insulating layer or substantially move fixed charge in said insulating layer,(d) whereby said fuse short circuits the MIS capacitor formed by said gate with said substrate until said fuse is blown.
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to a system for protecting HgCdTe and the like MIS arrays from breakdown during fabrication due to electrostatic charge buildup on the array capacitors. This is accomplished by building into the structure a short circuit across the capacitor plates with a fuse region therein that will evaporate when a voltage is placed thereacross which is sufficient to cause evaporation and low enough not to damage the capacitors.
22 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A MIS array semiconductor device in which each device comprises:
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(a) a semiconductor substrate, (b) a first insulating layer on said substrate, and (c) an electrically conductive layer on said insulating layer, said conductive layer being patterned into an MIS element, said element including a gate and a fuse, said first insulating layer forming the gate insulator and defining a first via therethrough associated with said MIS element, said fuse being a narrow portion of said conductive layer connected at one end to said gate and connected at the other end to said substrate through said first via, said gate connected to a bond pad, said narrow portion of width being sufficiently thin to blow the fuse with a voltage applied to said gate relative to said substrate that is below the minimum voltage required to damage said insulating layer or substantially move fixed charge in said insulating layer, (d) whereby said fuse short circuits the MIS capacitor formed by said gate with said substrate until said fuse is blown. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification