Integrated Circuit Processes

Microelectromenchanical systems (MEMS) is a revolutionary field that adapts for new uses a technology already optimized to accomplish a specific set of objectives. The silicon-based integrated circuits process is so highly refined it can produce millions of electrical elements on a single chip and define their critical dimensions to tolerances of 100-billionths of a meter. The MEMS revolution harnesses the integrated circuitry know-how to build working microsystems from micromechanical and microelectronic elements. MEMS is a multidisciplinary field involving challenges and opportunites for electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biomedical engineering as well as physics, biology, and chemistry. As MEMS begin to permeate more and more industrial procedures, society as a whole will be strongly affected because MEMS provide a new design technology that could rival--perhaps surpass--the societal impact of integrated circuits.

This book presents theory, design methods and novel applications for integrated circuits for analog signal processing. The discussion covers a wide variety of active devices, active elements and amplifiers, working in voltage mode, current mode and mixed mode. This includes voltage operational amplifiers, current operational amplifiers, operational transconductance amplifiers, operational transresistance amplifiers, current conveyors, current differencing transconductance amplifiers, etc. Design methods and challenges posed by nanometer technology are discussed and applications described, including signal amplification, filtering, data acquisition systems such as neural recording, sensor conditioning such as biomedical implants, actuator conditioning, noise generators, oscillators, mixers, etc. Presents analysis and synthesis methods to generate all circuit topologies from which the designer can select the best one for the desired application; Includes design guidelines for active devices/elements with low voltage and low power constraints; Offers guidelines for selecting the right active devices/elements in the design of linear and nonlinear circuits; Discusses optimization of the active devices/elements for process and manufacturing issues of nanometer technology.

Here is a comprehensive practical guide to entire wafer fabrication process from A to Z. Written by a practicing process engineer with years of experience, this book provides a thorough introduction to the complex field of IC manufacturing, including wafer area layout and design, yield optimization, just-in-time management systems, statistical quality control, fabrication equipment and its setup, and cleanroom techniques. In addition, it contains a wealth of information on common process problems: How to detect them, how to confirm them, and how to solve them. Whether you are a new enginner or technician just entering the field, a fabrication manager looking for ways to improve quality and production, or someone who would just like to know more about IC manufacturing, this is the book you're looking for. Provides a readable, practical overview of the entire wafer fabrication process for new engineers and those just entering this complex field Enables engineers and managers to improve production, raise quality levels, and solve problems that commonly occur in the fabrication process Presents the latest techniques and gives special attention to Japanese IC manufacturing techniques, showing how they obtain outstanding quality

Traditionally, Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools have been used to create the nominal design of an integrated circuit (IC), such that the circuit nominal response meets the desired performance specifications. In reality, however, due to the disturbances ofthe IC manufacturing process, the actual performancesof the mass produced chips are different than those for the nominal design. Even if the manufacturing process were tightly controlled, so that there were little variations across the chips manufactured, the environmentalchanges (e. g. those oftemperature, supply voltages, etc. ) would alsomakethe circuit performances vary during the circuit life span. Process-related performance variations may lead to low manufacturing yield, and unacceptable product quality. For these reasons, statistical circuit design techniques are required to design the circuit parameters, taking the statistical process variations into account. This book deals with some theoretical and practical aspects of IC statistical design, and emphasizes how they differ from those for discrete circuits. It de scribes a spectrum of different statistical design problems, such as parametric yield optimization, generalized on-target design, variability minimization, per formance tunning, and worst-case design. The main emphasis of the presen tation is placed on the principles and practical solutions for performance vari ability minimization. It is hoped that the book may serve as an introductory reference material for various groups of IC designers, and the methodologies described will help them enhance the circuit quality and manufacturability. The book containsseven chapters.

This book covers theoretical and practical aspects of all major steps in the fabrication sequence. This book can be used conveniently in a semester length course on integrated circuit fabrication. This text can also serve as a reference for practicing engineer and scientist in the semiconductor industry. IC Fabrication are ever demanding of technology in rapidly growing industry growth opportunities are numerous. A recent survey shows that integrated circuit currently outnumber humans in UK, USA, India and China. The spectacular advances in the development and application of integrated circuit technology have led to the emergence of microelectronic process engineering as an independent discipline. Integrated circuit fabrication text books typically divide the fabrication sequence into a number of unit processes that are repeated to form the integrated circuit. The effect is to give the book an analysis flavor: a number of loosely related topics each with its own background material. Note: T& F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MANUFACTURABILITY provides comprehensive coverage of the process and design variables that determine the ease and feasibility of fabrication (or manufacturability) of contemporary VLSI systems and circuits. This book progresses from semiconductor processing to electrical design to system architecture. The material provides a theoretical background as well as case studies, examining the entire design for the manufacturing path from circuit to silicon. Each chapter includes tutorial and practical applications coverage. INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MANUFACTURABILITY illustrates the implications of manufacturability at every level of abstraction, including the effects of defects on the layout, their mapping to electrical faults, and the corresponding approaches to detect such faults. The reader will be introduced to key practical issues normally applied in industry and usually required by quality, product, and design engineering departments in today's design practices: * Yield management strategies * Effects of spot defects * Inductive fault analysis and testing * Fault-tolerant architectures and MCM testing strategies. This book will serve design and product engineers both from academia and industry. It can also be used as a reference or textbook for introductory graduate-level courses on manufacturing."

Uncertainty in key parameters within a chip and between different chips in the deep sub micron area plays a more and more important role. As a result, manufacturing process spreads need to be considered during the design process. Quantitative methodology is needed to ensure faultless functionality, despite existing process variations within given bounds, during product development. This book presents the technological, physical, and mathematical fundamentals for a design paradigm shift, from a deterministic process to a probability-orientated design process for microelectronic circuits. Readers will learn to evaluate the different sources of variations in the design flow in order to establish different design variants, while applying appropriate methods and tools to evaluate and optimize their design.