JOURNAL OF SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, VOL.18, NO.6, DECEMBER, 2018 ISSN(Print) 1598-1657 https://doi.org/10.5573/JSTS.2018.18.6.677 ISSN(Online) 2233-4866

Manuscript received Feb. 8, 2017; accepted Jul. 4, 2017 1 School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Semiconductor Physics Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea 2 The 4th R&D Institute, ADD, Daejeon,305-600, Korea 3 Defence R&D Center, Hanwah Corporation, Daejeon 305-156, Korea 4 R&D Division, Sigetronics, Inc., Jeonju 561-756, Korea E-mail : khshim@jbnu.ac.kr

Development of Semiconductor Bridge Ignition Chip Device with Robust ESD Protection of TVS Diodes

Sakhone Pharkphoumy1, Vallivedu Janardhanam1, Moon-Ho Lee2, Dae-Gi Kim3, Sang-Sik Choi4,

Deok-Ho Cho4, Chel-Jong Choi1, and Kyu-Hwan Shim1*

Abstract—A new semiconductor bridge ignition chip (SBIC) device is designed, fabricated, and ESD tested. The SBIC device consists of transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode, resistor, and explosive material. The SBIC devices have been fabricated in two different groups with varying active areas: The Group A (small TVS diode active area: 215x255 μm2) and the Group B (large TVS diode active area: 215x375 μm2). Their performance is evaluated in terms of low energy ignition and safety against electrostatic discharge (ESD). The ESD properties are measured and analyzed with machine model (MM) and IEC61000-4-5 standard (surge). The Group A SBIC device was capable of withstanding 1.0 kV MM shocks while the Group B SBIC device can withstand 2.0 kV MM shocks. The surge current protection is higher for the Group B SBIC device than Group A SBIC device. The ignition of SBIC is analyzed by applying the MM currents/voltages. The firing occurred in the Group A and Group B SBIC devices when the applied MM voltage exceeds 1.4 kV and 2.4 kV, respectively. This is associated with the fact that the critical ignition voltage was related to the bridge size in the igniters and the size of TVS diodes as well. The SBIC device presented excellent operation like strong explosive fire, reduced energy for ignition, and

ruggedness against ESD exposures. Index Terms—SBIC devices, TVS diodes, MM tests, IEC61000-4-5 (8/20 μs), and ignition energy

I. INTRODUCTION

Semiconductor Bridge Ignition Chip (SBIC) had been developed in 1984-1985 and received US patent 4708060 in the 1987 patent [1] and 1990 [2, 3] for the replacement of conventional ignition devices and methods like the bridge wires, metal foils, semiconductor bridge (SCB) (shown in Fig. 1) and as well as by laser impingement or shock initiation [4-11]. A semiconductor bridge (SCB) is a small electronic device [12] designed to replace a hot wire in setting off chemical explosives because it functions in a few tens of microseconds and operates at one-tenth the input energy of conventional hot-wire devices [13]. An SCB igniter consists of a small, doped polysilicon layer formed on a silicon substrate. The length of the bridge is determined by the spacing of the aluminum lands. The lands provide a low Ohmic contact to the underlying high-doped layer. SCB resistance at ambient conditions is typically one ohm. Header wires are bonded to the conductive lands and the electrical feed-throughs on the explosive header posts to permit a current pulse to flow from land-to-land along the current flow axis of the SCB. The SCB devices operate at input energies typically less than 5 mJ (and as low as 30 mJ). Further, the SCB devices function very quickly producing an explosive output in less than 60 ms for pyrotechnic devices. Although the SCB device ignites at input energies approximately one-tenth that of bridge

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wire devices, tests have shown the SCB devices to be relatively RF insensitive and safe as compared to a conventional bridge wire [14-18]. Therefore, these devices have a wide range of uses in such areas as automotive airbags, mining, rocket ignition, and various firing system. The SCB device performs the function of an electro-explosive igniter when subjected to an appropriate electrical energy pulse by the generation of plasma from the bridge and the lands.

The semiconductor bridge ignition chip (SBIC) is a type of resistor used for igniting energetic materials that’s being designed to replace a hot wire in setting off chemical explosive and operates at the input energy of conventional devices [19, 20]. Therefore, these devices are attractive in applications where the available energy is limited. Failure of function was focused on a development, lots of detonators and initiators during the ensure transient voltage suppression (TVS) protect the devices damaging from ESD stresses [21, 22]. An SBIC consists of three main parts that are included in the device structure such as a resistor (the semiconductor bridge), two TVS diodes, and explosive materials (Zirconium overcoat). The most important part of SBIC is TVS (transient voltage suppression) diode which is necessary to protect from damaging due to ESD occurrence. An SBIC device differs from the SCB in that the SBIC consist of two TVS diodes in addition to the semiconductor bridge.

II. EXPERIMENT AND FABRICATION

PROCESSES

The process flow in the fabrication of Semiconductor Bridge Ignition chip (SBIC) is shown in Fig. 2. Initially, Si (100) substrate used for the fabrication of SBIC is cleaned using organic solvents. Silicon dioxide (SiO2) of thickness 3000 Å to 6000 Å was deposited on the cleaned substrates using PECVD (plasma enhances chemical vapor deposition) system. Later, the active windows with dimensions 130´130 μm2 for small and 130´380 μm2 for large. The TVS active area was opened in the field oxide using BOE (buffered oxide etching) etching process. A typical ion implant p+ regions were formed by heavy boron implantation of energy 80 keV, with a dose of 5´1015 cm-2 through square shaped pattern on the substrate at the drive-in diffusion temperature of 1000°C for1 hour for minimizing the diffusion of dopant ion atoms, and possible degradation of the device performance due to the non-uniform local electric field concentrated on SiO2 interface, this is followed by the removal SiO2 completely. Again, the SiO2 is deposited on the Si bulk of thickness 3000 Å to 6000 Å at high temperature 1050°C, base pressure 10-4 Pa, power 150 W, and gas flow rates during the film depositions of O2 and H2 is 10slm, 6slm/mn, respectively. Then the active area windows of 120´120 μm2 for devices Group A, and 120´370 μm2 for devices Group B was opened in the field oxide opened by a dry etching process and again p+ regions are formed by heavy boron implantation at an energy of 80 keV and with a dose of 5´1015 cm-2 through a square shaped on the substrate at diffusion temperature of 850 °C to 1000 °C for 1 hour, followed by the complete removal of SiO2. Later, 2 μm to 3 μm thick aluminum was deposited by masking off the windows using E-Beam system and the photolithography. An SBIC initiator element was manufactured using photolithography masking to precisely control the thickness 3000 Å to 5000 Å. The palladium bridge was defined Mask and develop the palladium is defined that extends between and electrically couples on the larger areas and of the bridge shaped area and lift off with ultrasonic and acetone. The contact pads were formed depositing Ti/Ni/Au of thickness 500 Å/1000 Å/2000 Å using lift-off lithography. The contact pads are contacts

Fig. 1. Basic structure of SCB conventional device.

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to which electrical leads may be bonded to the areas of the bow-tie shaped palladium layer. The electrical leads supply firing current to the bowtie shaped palladium layer [9]. Finally, a composite overcoat includes a layer of 1 μm to 10 μm thickness of Zirconium explosive material was deposited on the palladium bridge using lift-off lithography. Fig. 3 shows the equivalent circuit of SBIC device.

The ESD immunity test requires at least 10 discharges of both positive and negative polarity with 1 Sec time intervals [14, 23]. According to the SBIC can exhibit very good ESD characteristics when test with capacitance is C=200 pF, R=20 Ω, L=7.5 μH for MM [24]. Surge is measured by a Dream 2000 or IEC61000-4-5 (ESD/surge) equipment. The peak current of Dream 2000 has the capability to measure peak current up to 30 A, peak voltage up to 60 V, and surge transient rise time 8 μs per pulse width 20 μs (8/20 μs). The current was

generated to the devices. The ignition property of the SBIC is analyzed by applying the MM voltages.

III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Fig. 3 shows the equivalent circuit of SBIC device. The SBIC device was protected by two TVS diodes. Fig. 4(a) and (b) shows the I-V characteristics of the Group A and Group B SBIC’s before and after applying different MM type of ESD stress levels. The I-V characteristics were measured between the TVS diodes of the SBIC Bridge. ESD protection device performance was measured when both the current and voltage were applied through the device while the ESD stressed, simultaneously. The Group A SBIC device was capable of withstanding 1.0 kV MM shocks while the Group B SBIC device can withstand 2.0 kV MM shocks. However,

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the fabrication process of SBIC devices (above) and top view of SBIC Groups A and B (below).

Fig. 3. The equivalent circuit of SBIC device.

Fig. 4. MM test of (a) the Group A, (b) Group B SBIC devices.

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the current cannot flow through the bridge in Group A and Group B SBIC devices after subjecting to 1.2 kV and 2.2 kV MM shocks, respectively, indicating typical electrical failures, probably associated with the heat generated in the palladium bridge. Eventhough, the Group A and Group B devices failed at 1.2 kV and 2.2 kV MM shocks, the devices do not show any fire explosion. The fire explosion in Group A and Group B devices was noticed after 1.4 kV and 2.4 kV MM shocks which will be discussed later. It is observed that Group B SBIC device with larger TVS diode area has shown withstanding capability to higher ESD stress level.

In order to analyze the ESD performance and the surge protection capability, the SBIC devices were subjected to undergo various levels of an IEC pulse of 10 discharges in both positive and negative polarities with a time interval of 1 sec. Fig. 5 shows the maximum value of surge current that can be delivered by the Groups A and B SBIC devices. It can be noted that the surge current protection is higher for the Group B SBIC device than

Group A SBIC device with their values being 5 A and 3.1 A (called a peak point current, IPP) at clamping voltages VC is the highest voltage of the curve during device damaging of 6 V and 8 V, respectively. A major cause of surge voltage and current which claasified in two sources as internal source is came from changed in the system itself, and external source is came from outside which is the system being affected by surge voltage. The leakage current was ploted or produced from internal source of semiconductor device and this mechine system. The device degradation and failure is associated with the Heating [25]. Also, Fig. 5 shows the variation of leakage current with the surge test. The group A and group B devices shows the conduction till the devices can withstand the IEC test after which the devices stopped conduction as indicated by the sudden decrease in the leakage current. The consistency of surge protection helps in protecting sensitive electronic equipment against the damaging effects.

SBIC explosions were performed employing MM ESD test. Over current and voltage from MM measurement

0 1 2 3 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Cla

mp

Vol

tage

(V)

Surge Current (A)

Clamp Voltage Leakage Current

10-7

10-6

10-5

10-4

10-3

10-2

10-1

Group A

Lea

kage

Cur

rent

(A)

(a)

Ipp & VC

-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Surge Current (A)

Cla

mp

Vol

tage

(V)

10-10

10-8

10-6

10-4

10-2

Ipp & VC

(b)

L

eaka

ge C

urre

nt (A

)

Clamp Voltage Leakage Current

Group B

Fig. 5. I-V curves of ESD surge tested (a) Group A, (b) Group B SBIC devices.

Fig. 6. The explosion fire after MM test as a function of ESD voltage. The fire started to appear when the applied MM voltage reaches 1.4 kV for the Group A.

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through SBIC is recorded by a damaging point on the Bridge. The initiator assembly allows an initiation signal to be conveyed from an external device [26] to the interior of the detonator and, in particular, to the ignition charge and firing occurred, as shown in Fig. 6, for Group A and Fig. 7, for Group B. No Firing has occurred in the Group A and Group B SBIC devices when the applied MM voltage was lower than 1.4 kV and 2.4 kV, respectively. However, the fire explodes when the applied MM voltage is higher than 1.4 kV and 2.4 kV in Group A and Group B devices, respectively. This implies that Group B SBIC device can withstand higher MM voltage without any firing. This shows that the critical ignition voltage was related to the bridge size in the igniters and the size of TVS diodes as well. The damage occurred after firing in the bridge does not allow the current to flow through into the resistor device (since the resistor is broken). It can be noted that the intensity of firing increased with increasing ESD voltage. Firing is particularly acute in the situation, when the electro-explosive initiators are subjected to the lightning or

electrostatic discharge by increasing power supply from ESD machines.

Additional information concerning the time and space evolution of the SBIC explosion flame was obtained with the mobile phone camera. In these experiments, explosions were performed in air at normal pressure. The side-view image, show a non-uniform bridge explosion. The brighter light emission is obtained from the location edges of the electrode lands, and side edges of the bridge. The bridge explosion started with two hot spots at the edges of the bridge. The brighter light emission at the locations of the contact Pd lands and doped layer depends qualitatively on the contact potential difference due to the different resistivity of the Pd lands and doped layer. In addition, the brighter emission at the edges of the bridge can be explained by the higher current density at that location due to the edge effect. In fact, a part of the discharge current carried out by the heating of SBIC. The high-speed photography correlated with the maximum flame and SBIC firing under varied input MM voltage. However, the flame height of SBIC Bridge is increasingly apparent with an increase of Voltage.

Application of a voltage pulse across the SBIC device results in melting and vaporization. Once the bridge is melted and completely vaporized, the current flows through the hot vapor above the bridge producing heat. Therefore, increased flame height is not obvious. The resistance value of the SBIC is controlled by the resistivity of doped layer and bridge length (LB), bridge width (WB), the area of electrode or thickness of the bridge (T) of the SBIC Bridge, as expressed in the Eq. (1) and the electrical energy (E) is also controlled by resistance (R), current (I), and explosive time (t), as follows [27]:

R = LB/(σTWB) (1) E =RI2t (2)

In the Table 1 and 2, we have shown the values of

energy and current flow through the Bridge, as a function of the applied MM voltage into the Bridge. No fire is observed till the applied MM voltage reached about 1 kV and 2 kV, with the corresponding current and energy values being 13.5 A , 27 A, and 0.12 mJ and 0.25 mJ for Group A and B SBIC devices, respectively. To increase the intensity of the flame, MM voltage must rise. At the same time, current and energy will also

Fig. 7. The explosion fire after MM test as a function of ESD voltage. The fire started to appear when the applied MM voltage reaches 2.4 kV for the Group B.

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increase depending on the applied MM voltage as shown in the table.

V. CONCLUSIONS

We have fabricated the SBIC device in two different groups with varying dimensions of Groups A and B. The

SBIC devices were ESD tested with machine model and IEC61000-4-5 standard surge for confirming the ESD strength. The Group A SBIC device was capable of withstanding 1.0 kV MM shocks while the Group B SBIC device can withstand 2.0 kV MM shocks. As well the surge current protection is higher for the Group B SBIC device than Group A SBIC device. The SBIC devices ignition was analyzed by employing MM ESD tests. The Group B SBIC device withstands higher MM voltage shocks without showing any firing occurrence till MM voltage 2.4 kV while the Group A SBIC does not any firing till 1.4 kV. Thus the Group B SBIC device

with large area presents robust ESD protection of TVS diodes, associated with the fact that the critical ignition voltage was related to the bridge size in the igniters and the size of TVS diodes as well. The results will be useful and could pave the way for the design of SBIC device that can withstand higher ESD shocks.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by the Future Semiconductor Device Technology Development Program (Grant No. 10044651), and by the Transfer Machine Specialized Lighting Core Technology Development Professional Manpower Training Project (Project No. N0001363) funded by Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, Republic of Korea.

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[9] L. L. Wang, Z. A. Munir, and J. B. Holt, J. MatlsSynthesis and Processing, Vol. 2, No. 4, 1994.

Table 1. The ignition firing and ignition energy the MM tests of for Group A SBIC devices

MM voltage (kV)

Current (A)

Energy (mJ) Ignition

1.0 13.5 0.12 NI 1.4 18.9 0.17 IP 2.0 27 0.2 Weak 3.0 40.5 0.3 Weak 4.0 54 0.5 Strong 5.0 67.5 0.6 Strong 6.0 81 0.7 Strong 7.0 94.5 0.8 Strong 8.0 10.8 1 VS

Table 2. The ignition firing and ignition energy the MM tests of for Group B SBIC devices

MM voltage (kV)

Current (A)

Energy (mJ) Ignition

1.0 13.5 0.12 NI 2.0 27 0.17 NI 2.4 32.4 0.2 IP 3.0 40.5 0.3 Weak 4.0 54 0.5 Strong 5.0 67.5 0.6 Strong 6.0 81 0.7 Strong 7.0 94.5 0.8 Strong 8.0 10.8 1 VS

NI is No-Ignition IP is Ignition Point VS is Very Strong

JOURNAL OF SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, VOL.18, NO.6, DECEMBER, 2018 683

[10] P. V. Phung and A. P. Hardt, “Ignition Characteristics of Gasless Reactions,” Comb. and Flame 22 pp. 323-335 (1974).

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[12] Industry News Update in Solid State Technology, vol. 30, p. 40, 1987.

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[16] J. D. Kim and K. C. Jungling, “Modeling of the current density distribute in a heavily doped semiconductor bridge”, Int. J. Electron., Vol. 80, no. 5, pp. 623-638, May 1996.

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[20] R. W. Bickes, Jr., “Smart Semiconductor Bridge (SCB) Igniter for Explosives,” in 3rd Canadian Symp. on Mining Automation, Montreal, Quebec, September 14-16, 1988.

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protection for SCB initiators”, ISSN (2013), pp. 133-136.

[22] C. Duvvur y and A. Amerasekera, “Handbook of Failure Modes, Reliability Issues, and Case Studies, ESD in Silicon Integrated Circuits,” 2nd Edition John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chap. 2, 8-9, 12-14; Chap. 3, 25-28, 58; Chap. 4, 98; Chap. 5, 106-109; Chap. 8, 228-272 (2002).

[23] E. David, W. Walsh, and M. Brendan, “Optimization of the bridge/power interface for a low energy SCB device,” presented at the 33rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conf., Seattle, WA, Jul. 6-9, 1997, AIAA-97-2831.

[24] J. D. Kim and K. C. Jungling, “Modeling of the current density distribute in a heavily doped semiconductor bridge,” Int. J. Electron., Vol. 80, No. 5, pp. 623-638, May 1996.

[25] H. He, L. Cao, L. Wan, H. Zhao, G. Xu, and F. Guo, “Joule heating effect on oxide whisker growth induced by current stressing in Cu/Sn-58Bi/Cu solder joint”, Electron. Mater. Lett. 8, 463 (2012).

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Sakhone Pharkphoumy received the B.S degree in Science Physics from National University of Laos in 2012. She is currently pursuing the M.S degree in Department of School Semiconductor and Chemical Engi-neering, Semiconductor Physics

Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Republic of Korea. Her research interests include developing and analyzing ESD protection which relative to TVS diode, SBIC device, and Resistor chip.

Vallivedu Janardhanam received the M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics, from Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati, India, in 2003 and 2009, respectively. Dr. V. Janardhanam joined as postdoctorate in the Semiconductor Physics

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Research Center, Chonbuk National University, in November 2009. As author and co-author, he has published 50 articles in referred journals and has been the author and co-author of over 30 conference papers. His current research interests include fabrication of Ohmic and Schottky contacts to germanium for post-silicon CMOS technologies, polymer based contacts for Schottky diodes, and preparation of metal-polymer composite films for the development of organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials.

Moon-Ho Lee is a the 4th Research and Development Institute, ADD, Daejeon, 305-600, Republic of Korea. Dae-Gi Kim is a Defense Research and Development Center, Hanwah Corporation, Daejeon 305-156, Republic of Korea. Sang-Sik Choi is a Research and Development Division, Sigetronics, Inc., Jeonju 561-756, Republic of Korea. Deok-Ho Choi is a Research and Development Division, Sigetronics, Inc., Jeonju 561-756, Republic of Korea.

Chel-Jong Choiwas born in Korea, on June 16, 1974. He received the B.S. degree in ceramic engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, in 1997, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in materials science engineering from the Gwangju

Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Korea, in 1999 and 2003, respectively. From 2003 to 2005, he was with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Suwon, Korea, in the areas of semiconductor-device characterization. From 2005 to 2008, he worked with the Electronics and Telecommuni-cations Research Institute (ETRI), Daejon, Korea, where he was involved in the process integration of nano-scaled Schottky barrier MOSFETs. Since 2008, he has been with Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. His research interests include the novel nano-scaled Ge-and III-V-based electronic devices for the ultimate CMOS and post-CMOS technologies.

Kyu-Hwan Shim received his BS and MS degrees in materials science and engineering from Korea University in 1984 and 1986, respectively, and his PhD degree from the University of Illinoi at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

Meanwhile he joined the Electronics and Telecommuni-cations Research Institute (ETRI) in 1986, where his major activities were focused on compound semicon-ductor processes and devices like GaAs MESFETs until 1992. Thanks to ETRI’ s program, he could study at UIUC for his PhD degree and specialize the epitaxial growth and device development of GaN based heterostructures. For five years after 1999, while working as a principal research member, his efforts were devoted to SiGe HBTs, BiCMOS integrated circuits, and strained-silicon MOSFETs. Then he moved to the Chonbuk National University (CBNU) to become a professor in 2004, and continued his research on SiGe and related semiconductor materials, processes, and devices in his lab Intelligent Semiconductor Research Lab (ISRL). At the same time, he started to serve as a CEO for a new lab-based venture company, Sigetronics Ltd. established inside the CBNU campus, where various semiconductor devices such as Zener diode (for LEDs), TVS, ULC-TVS, ESD/EMI Filter, SBD, FRD, Power FETs have been developed and commercialized. His research is focused mostly on the epitaxial growth of germanium on silicon substrates (Ge-on-Si) and its application for future electrical and photonic devices including the beyond-CMOS and the emitters/receivers of optical signals for communications and image signal processing as well. He wants to assist for a new generation started on the basis of GaN, Ge, Si in every academic and industrial sector.