Integrated Circuit Processing.ppt

Integrated Circuit Processing Pulling ingots Wafers Patterning Fabrication cycle Testing Packaging CAD design of ICs Future issues Pulling Ingots Monocrystalline silicon is produced from purified polycrystalline silicon by “pulling” an ingot polysilicon is melted using radio frequency induction heaters “seed crystal” of monocrystalline silicon is dipped into melt silicon grows around structure of seed as seed is slowly withdrawn Pulling Ingots (continued) Produces an ingot of pure silicon 400 mm - 1000 mm long (15” - 39”) 150 mm - 200 mm in diameter (6” - 8”) Growth is a slow process 10 - 20 hours Silicon is often doped as it’s grown Wafers Ingot is finely shaped using abrasive belts flat spot added for alignment during processing Sawed into wafers about 600 microns thick only a few microns are actually used for IC devices then etched, polished, and cleaned stacked in carriers Silicon Dioxide and Polysilicon Silicon dioxide is created by interaction between silicon and oxygen or water vapor Si + O2 = SiO2 or Si + 2H2O = SiO2 + 2H2 protects surface from contaminants forms insulating layer between conductors form barrier to dopants during diffusion or ion implantation grows above and into silicon surface Polysilicon silicon without a single crystal structure created when silicon is epitaxially grown on SiO2 also a conductor, but with much more resistance than metal or diffused layers commonly used (heavily doped) for gate connections in most MOS processes Patterning Patterning creates a regular pattern on the surface of the chip, which is used to create features of the IC involves alternative lithography and etching steps each of several layers involves a separate pattern Lithography patterns are contained on masks eg, chrome on glass surface of the wafer is covered with photoresist organic material sensistive to uv light or X-rays spin and bake positive resist becomes more soluable when exposed resist will be removed where mask is clear negative resist becomes