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Crystals
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Robust Microelectronic Devices
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Robust Microelectronic Devices

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 28209

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Michael Waltl

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
TU Wien, Institute for Microelectronics, Vienna, Austria
Interests: Transistor; Reliability;Defects in Semiconductors; Bias Temperatur Instabilities; Hot Carrier Degradation; Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown; Device Characterization; High Speed Measurement Methods; Noise in Semiconductor Devices; Single-Defects; Spectroscopy; Circuit Simulation; 2D Transistors; Modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The high performance and reliable operation of microelectronic devices are essential for the long-term failure-safe function of complex electrical circuits and applications. Over recent decades, the performance and geometry of integrated semiconductor devices have been continuously improved. However, the devices still suffer from various effects and challenges that might hamper the stable operation of single components. For instance, metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors suffer from imperfections at the atomic level, which can emerge as electrically active defects. The impact of the defects on the device performance itself manifests as a drift of the MOS transistors' performance over time. In this context, the so-called bias temperature instability (BTI), which emerges as a drift of the threshold voltage of a transistor, is an essential criterion for determining devices' reliability. Although many efforts have been put into understanding this phenomenon and developing suitable models to explain the observed device performance degradation behavior, BTI's detailed physical mechanisms are still controversially debated.

Nevertheless, other mechanisms may affect the robustness of microelectronic transistors too. For instance, the hysteresis of voltage sweeps, stress-induced leakage currents, and time-dependent dielectric breakdown are severe issues in MOS transistors. Next to the transistors, the robust operation of other circuit components, i.e., diodes, resistors, etc., and the reliability of the interconnect play a vital role in robust microelectronics applications.

Next to mainstream Si technology, emerging material systems, such as devices based on wide bandgap materials like SiC or GaN, and novel 2D transistors employing graphene, MoS2, and many other 2D materials are also of significant interest to the field of robust microelectronics devices. In addition to the challenges evolving for developing a physical understanding of experimental observations, the characterization of novel material systems also poses a significant challenge for suitable characterization techniques and measurement instruments, such as the requirement of high-speed measurement techniques (fast IDVG or fast CV methods), but also the need for ultra-low noise systems to investigate trap-assisted tunneling, to mention a few.

Finally, to ensure the proper interplay of the various components, advanced circuit simulations have to be performed. For this, suitable compact models describing the many peculiarities of the components, under various operating conditions, are used. The design of such models poses a formidable challenge for reliability engineers and is of particular importance to precisely evaluate the device robustness. The robustness of circuits to extrinsic sources, i.e., radiation-hardened circuit design, is one topic that has to be considered in this context.

Given the wide diversity of approaches to explore the robustness of various material systems and applications, this Special Issue will provide a platform for scientists from different disciplines to publish their latest advancements and reviews in this direction. This includes reliability analysis of transistors, diodes, etc., improved compact models of various devices and technologies for circuit simulations, or simulations of electronic circuits to improve their design.

Dr. Michael Waltl
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Robust microelectronic circuits
  • Transistor reliability (BTI, HCD, TAT, SILC, TDDB)
  • Characterization and modeling of microelectronics devices
  • Robustness of microelectronics devices (transistors, diodes, interconnects, etc.)
  • Reliability of wide bandgap SiC and GaN devices
  • Fabrication, characterization, and simulation of novel devices employing 2D materials
  • Compact modeling of microelectronic devices
  • Circuit simulation
  • Test structures for reliability assessment
  • Robustness of devices and circuits in harsh environments (cryogenic or high temperatures, etc.)

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 158 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue on Robust Microelectronic Devices
by Michael Waltl
Crystals 2022, 12(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12010016 - 23 Dec 2021
Viewed by 1861
Abstract
Integrated electronic circuits have influenced our society in recent decades and become an indispensable part of our daily lives [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

11 pages, 923 KiB  
Article
Impact of Bias Temperature Instabilities on the Performance of Logic Inverter Circuits Using Different SiC Transistor Technologies
by Yoanlys Hernandez, Bernhard Stampfer, Tibor Grasser and Michael Waltl
Crystals 2021, 11(9), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091150 - 21 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2604
Abstract
All electronic devices, in this case, SiC MOS transistors, are exposed to aging mechanisms and variability issues, that can affect the performance and stable operation of circuits. To describe the behavior of the devices for circuit simulations, physical models which capture the degradation [...] Read more.
All electronic devices, in this case, SiC MOS transistors, are exposed to aging mechanisms and variability issues, that can affect the performance and stable operation of circuits. To describe the behavior of the devices for circuit simulations, physical models which capture the degradation of the devices are required. Typically compact models based on closed-form mathematical expressions are often used for circuit analysis, however, such models are typically not very accurate. In this work, we make use of physical reliability models and apply them for aging simulations of pseudo-CMOS logic inverter circuits. The model employed is available via our reliability simulator Comphy and is calibrated to evaluate the impact of bias temperature instability (BTI) degradation phenomena on the inverter circuit’s performance made from commercial SiC power MOSFETs. Using Spice simulations, we extract the propagation delay time of inverter circuits, taking into account the threshold voltage drift of the transistors with stress time under DC and AC operating conditions. To achieve the highest level of accuracy for our evaluation we also consider the recovery of the devices during low bias phases of AC signals, which is often neglected in existing approaches. Based on the propagation delay time distribution, the importance of a suitable physical defect model to precisely analyze the circuit operation is discussed in this work too. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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11 pages, 3756 KiB  
Article
Photo-Excited Switchable Terahertz Metamaterial Polarization Converter/Absorber
by Dingwang Yu, Yanfei Dong, Youde Ruan, Guochao Li, Gaosheng Li, Haomin Ma, Song Deng and Zhenpeng Liu
Crystals 2021, 11(9), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091116 - 14 Sep 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2396
Abstract
In this paper, a photo-excited switchable terahertz metamaterial (MM) polarization converter/absorber has been presented. The switchable structure comprises an orthogonal double split-ring resonator (ODSRR) and a metallic ground, separated by a dielectric spacer. The gaps of ODSRR are filled with semiconductor photoconductive silicon [...] Read more.
In this paper, a photo-excited switchable terahertz metamaterial (MM) polarization converter/absorber has been presented. The switchable structure comprises an orthogonal double split-ring resonator (ODSRR) and a metallic ground, separated by a dielectric spacer. The gaps of ODSRR are filled with semiconductor photoconductive silicon (Si), whose conductivity can be dynamically tuned by the incident pump beam with different power. From the simulated results, it can be observed that the proposed structure implements a wide polarization-conversion band in 2.01–2.56 THz with the conversion ratio of more than 90% and no pump beam power incident illuminating the structure, whereas two absorption peaks operate at 1.98 THz and 3.24 THz with the absorption rates of 70.5% and 94.2%, respectively, in the case of the maximum pump power. Equivalent circuit models are constructed for absorption states to provide physical insight into their operation. Meanwhile, the surface current distributions are also illustrated to explain the working principle. The simulated results show that this design has the advantage of the switchable performance afforded by semiconductor photoconductive Si, creating a path towards THz imaging, active switcher, etc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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11 pages, 2599 KiB  
Article
AgSn[Bi1−xSbx]Se3: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Electrical Behavior
by Paulina Valencia-Gálvez, Daniela Delgado, María Luisa López, Inmaculada Álvarez-Serrano, Silvana Moris and Antonio Galdámez
Crystals 2021, 11(8), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11080864 - 26 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization, and electrical properties of lead-free AgSnm[Bi1−xSbx]Se2+m (m = 1, 2) selenides. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns and Rietveld refinement data revealed that these selenides consisted of phases related [...] Read more.
Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization, and electrical properties of lead-free AgSnm[Bi1−xSbx]Se2+m (m = 1, 2) selenides. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns and Rietveld refinement data revealed that these selenides consisted of phases related to NaCl-type crystal structure. The microstructures and morphologies of the selenides were investigated by backscattered scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The studied AgSnm[Bi1−xSbx]Se2+m systems exhibited typical p-type semiconductor behavior with a carrier concentration of approximately ~+1020 cm−3. The electrical conductivity of AgSnm[Bi1−xSbx]Se2+m decreased from ~3.0 to ~10−3 S·cm−1 at room temperature (RT) with an increase in m from 1 to 2, and the Seebeck coefficient increased almost linearly with increasing temperature. Furthermore, the Seebeck coefficient of AgSn[Bi1−xSbx]Se3 increased from ~+36 to +50 μV·K−1 with increasing Sb content (x) at RT, while its average value determined for AgSn2[Bi1−xSbx]Se4 was approximately ~+4.5 μV·K−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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9 pages, 1307 KiB  
Article
A Stable and Efficient Pt/n-Type Ge Schottky Contact That Uses Low-Cost Carbon Paste Interlayers
by Pei-Te Lin, Jia-Wei Chang, Syuan-Ruei Chang, Zhong-Kai Li, Wei-Zhi Chen, Jui-Hsuan Huang, Yu-Zhen Ji, Wen-Jeng Hsueh and Chun-Ying Huang
Crystals 2021, 11(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11030259 - 6 Mar 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3791
Abstract
Ge-based Schottky diodes find applications in high-speed devices. However, Fermi-level pinning is a major issue for the development of Ge-based diodes. This study fabricates a Pt/carbon paste (CP)/Ge Schottky diode using low-cost CP as an interlayer. The Schottky barrier height (ΦB) [...] Read more.
Ge-based Schottky diodes find applications in high-speed devices. However, Fermi-level pinning is a major issue for the development of Ge-based diodes. This study fabricates a Pt/carbon paste (CP)/Ge Schottky diode using low-cost CP as an interlayer. The Schottky barrier height (ΦB) is 0.65 eV for Pt/CP/n-Ge, which is a higher value than the value of 0.57 eV for conventional Pt/n-Ge. This demonstrates that the CP interlayer has a significant effect. The relevant junction mechanisms are illustrated using feasible energy level band diagrams. This strategy results in greater stability and enables a device to operate for more than 500 h under ambient conditions. This method realizes a highly stable Schottky contact for n-type Ge, which is an essential element of Ge-based high-speed electronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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14 pages, 1323 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Interfacial Charge Trapping on the Reproducibility of Measurements of Silicon Carbide MOSFET Device Parameters
by Maximilian W. Feil, Andreas Huerner, Katja Puschkarsky, Christian Schleich, Thomas Aichinger, Wolfgang Gustin, Hans Reisinger and Tibor Grasser
Crystals 2020, 10(12), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121143 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3783
Abstract
Silicon carbide is an emerging material in the field of wide band gap semiconductor devices. Due to its high critical breakdown field and high thermal conductance, silicon carbide MOSFET devices are predestined for high-power applications. The concentration of defects with short capture and [...] Read more.
Silicon carbide is an emerging material in the field of wide band gap semiconductor devices. Due to its high critical breakdown field and high thermal conductance, silicon carbide MOSFET devices are predestined for high-power applications. The concentration of defects with short capture and emission time constants is higher than in silicon technologies by orders of magnitude which introduces threshold voltage dynamics in the volt regime even on very short time scales. Measurements are heavily affected by timing of readouts and the applied gate voltage before and during the measurement. As a consequence, device parameter determination is not as reproducible as in the case of silicon technologies. Consequent challenges for engineers and researchers to measure device parameters have to be evaluated. In this study, we show how the threshold voltage of planar and trench silicon carbide MOSFET devices of several manufacturers react on short gate pulses of different lengths and voltages and how they influence the outcome of application-relevant pulsed current-voltage characteristics. Measurements are performed via a feedback loop allowing in-situ tracking of the threshold voltage with a measurement delay time of only 1 μs. Device preconditioning, recently suggested to enable reproducible BTI measurements, is investigated in the context of device parameter determination by varying the voltage and the length of the preconditioning pulse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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Review

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30 pages, 4724 KiB  
Review
Numerical Simulation of Ammonothermal Crystal Growth of GaN—Current State, Challenges, and Prospects
by Saskia Schimmel, Daisuke Tomida, Tohru Ishiguro, Yoshio Honda, Shigefusa Chichibu and Hiroshi Amano
Crystals 2021, 11(4), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11040356 - 30 Mar 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4724
Abstract
Numerical simulations are a valuable tool for the design and optimization of crystal growth processes because experimental investigations are expensive and access to internal parameters is limited. These technical limitations are particularly large for ammonothermal growth of bulk GaN, an important semiconductor material. [...] Read more.
Numerical simulations are a valuable tool for the design and optimization of crystal growth processes because experimental investigations are expensive and access to internal parameters is limited. These technical limitations are particularly large for ammonothermal growth of bulk GaN, an important semiconductor material. This review presents an overview of the literature on simulations targeting ammonothermal growth of GaN. Approaches for validation are also reviewed, and an overview of available methods and data is given. Fluid flow is likely in the transitional range between laminar and turbulent; however, the time-averaged flow patterns likely tend to be stable. Thermal boundary conditions both in experimental and numerical research deserve more detailed evaluation, especially when designing numerical or physical models of the ammonothermal growth system. A key source of uncertainty for calculations is fluid properties under the specific conditions. This originates from their importance not only in numerical simulations but also in designing similar physical model systems and in guiding the selection of the flow model. Due to the various sources of uncertainty, a closer integration of numerical modeling, physical modeling, and the use of measurements under ammonothermal process conditions appear to be necessary for developing numerical models of defined accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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28 pages, 4551 KiB  
Review
Current Understanding of Bias-Temperature Instabilities in GaN MIS Transistors for Power Switching Applications
by Milan Ťapajna
Crystals 2020, 10(12), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121153 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5717
Abstract
GaN-based high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have brought unprecedented performance in terms of power, frequency, and efficiency. Application of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) gate structure has enabled further development of these devices by improving the gate leakage characteristics, gate controllability, and stability, and offered several approaches [...] Read more.
GaN-based high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have brought unprecedented performance in terms of power, frequency, and efficiency. Application of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) gate structure has enabled further development of these devices by improving the gate leakage characteristics, gate controllability, and stability, and offered several approaches to achieve E-mode operation desired for switching devices. Yet, bias-temperature instabilities (BTI) in GaN MIS transistors represent one of the major concerns. This paper reviews BTI in D- and E-mode GaN MISHEMTs and fully recess-gate E-mode devices (MISFETs). Special attention is given to discussion of existing models describing the defects distribution in the GaN-based MIS gate structures as well as related trapping mechanisms responsible for threshold voltage instabilities. Selected technological approaches for improving the dielectric/III-N interfaces and techniques for BTI investigation in GaN MISHEMTs and MISFETs are also outlined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robust Microelectronic Devices)
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