Focused ion beam for thin film resistor trim on aluminum nitride substrates

• US 5,266,529 A
• Filed: 10/21/1991
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Lowery, Maurice, Lui, Kenneth, Lau, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAI, H JEY
• Application Number:
  US07/780,175
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 437/918, 437/20, 437/228, 437/47, 156/626, 156/345, 148/DIG. 83, 148/DIG. 136, 257/537, 257/904, 257/359
• US Class Current: 204/192.34
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/2404 by charged particle impact, e.g. by electron or ion beam milling, sputtering, plasma etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/321 After treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/20 Resistors

Abstract

A method for trimming thin film resistors. A focused inert ion beam is employed to selectively remove portions of a resistive film deposited on a substrate.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a thin film resistor with a precise resistance value comprising the steps of:

forming a thin film of resistive material on an aluminum nitride substrate;

attaching a pair of conductor pads directly to said thin film, said conductor pads being spaced from one another and from said substrate, said conductor pads being adaptable to electrically couple said resistive material to a circuit; and

selectively removing portions of said thin film of resistive material with a exposing a corresponding area of said substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said ion beam is an inert beam.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said ion beam is an Argon beam.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said thin film of resistive material is nickel chromium (nichrome) or tantalum nitride.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an L-shaped portion is removed from said thin film.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped portion abuts an edge of said resistor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said beam is approximately 500 to 10,000 angstroms in diameter.

8. A method of fabricating a thin film resistor with a precise resistance value comprising the steps of:

forming a thin film of nickel chromium (nichrome) on an aluminum nitride substrate, said substrate having an edge;

attaching a pair of conductor pads directly to said thin film, said pads being spaced from one another and from said substrate, said pads adapted to electrically couple said nickel chromium to a circuit; and

removing an L-shaped portion of said film of nickel chromium with a focused ion beam to increase the total resistance of said resistor by exposing a corresponding area of said substrate, said L-shaped portion extending from said substrate edge.