IC Fabrication An Introduction

Jau-Wen Lin, Ph. D.

Integrated circuit showing
memory blocks, logic and
input/output pads around
the periphery
Six Level of
Interconnection

drain






IC device
Silicon chip
High lead solder die attach
Tin/lead plated copper
leadframe
Semiconductor Applications

3C : Computer--- /Communication / Consumables

Personal Computer--- Desktop Computer (DT) /
Notebook (NB)
Communication---
ADSL / Cable Modem /
IEEE802.11X / Bluetooth / VoIP
Consumables---
Game / DVD / Digital Camera
3C merge--- Digital Home
Types of Chips
Dynamic Random Access Memory chips
(DRAMs) - serve as the primary memory for
computers
Microprocessors (MPUs) - act as the brains of
computers.
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs)
- are custom semiconductors designed for very specific
functions
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) - process signals,
such as image and sound signals or radar pulses.
Programmable memory chips (EPROMs,
EEPROMs, and Flash) - are used to perform
functions that require programming on the chip.

Front-End Processing (Wafer fabrication)
Back-End Processing (Assembly and
Testing)

Semiconductor Fabrication
Processes
A logic circuit diagram is drawn to determine the
electronic circuit required for the requested function.
Once the logic circuit diagram is complete,
simulations are performed multiple times to test the
circuits operation.
Logic Circuit Design / Layout
Design
Photomask Creation

The photomask is a copy of the circuit pattern,
drawn on a glass plate coated with a metallic film.
The glass plate lets light pass, but the metallic film
does not.
Due to increasingly high integration and
miniaturization of the pattern, the size of the
photomask is usually magnified four to ten times
the actual size.
The
photomask
of a RF IC
Chip

Wafer Fabrication

A high-purity, single-crystal silicon called
"99.999999999% (eleven-nine)" is grown from a
seed to an ingot.
The wafers are generally available in diameters of
150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm, and are mirror-
polished and rinsed before shipment from the
wafer manufacturer.
Deposition

the wafer is placed in a high-temperature furnace to
make the silicon react with oxygen or water vapor, and
to develop oxide films on the wafer surface (thermal
oxidation).
To develop nitride films and polysilicon films, the
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is used, in
which a gaseous reactant is introduced to the silicon
substrate, and chemical reaction produce the deposited
layer material.
The metallic layers used in the wiring of the circuit are
also formed by CVD, spattering (PVD: physical vapor
deposition)
Photoresist Coating

A resin called "photoresist" is coated over the
entire wafer. (~1m thick coating.)
Photoresist is a special resin similar in
behavior to photography films that changes
properties when exposed to light.
Masking/Exposure
Placed over the photoresist-coated wafer, which
is then irradiated to have the circuit diagram
transcribed onto it.
An irradiation device called the "stepper" is used
to irradiate the wafer through the mask with
ultraviolet (UV) light.
Lithography area in clean room
Patterning: Development
The photoresist chemically reacts and dissolves in the
developing solution, only on the parts that were not
masked during exposure (positive method).
Development is performed with an alkaline
developing solution.
After the development, photoresist is left on the
wafer surface in the shape of the mask pattern.
Etching
"Etching" refers to the physical or chemical etching
of oxide films and metallic films using the resist
pattern as a mask.
Etching with liquid chemicals is called "wet
etching" and etching with gas is called "dry
etching".
Photoresist Stripping
The photoresist remaining on the wafer surface
is no longer necessary after etching is complete.
Ashing by oxygen plasma or the likes is
performed to remove the residual photoresist.
Device Insulation Layer (Field-
Oxide Film) Formation

After the oxide film and nitride film are
developed, a resist pattern is formed on the
regions that will become the device
insulation layer.
Ion implantation is performed on the wafer,
forming a p-type diffusion layer.
Next, the oxide film and nitride film on the
diffusion layer are etched.
Using the nitride film pattern as the mask,
the oxide film that will become the device
insulation layer is developed.
Transistor Formation
A transistor is a semiconductor device with a
switching function and three terminals:
source, drain, and gate.
An insulation layer called "gate oxide" is first
formed on the wafer surface.
A polysilicon film is deposited onto the gate
oxide, and a polysilicon gate for controlling
the flow of electrons between the source
region and the drain region is formed by
lithography and etching.
After the polysilicon gate is formed, an n-
type diffusion layer consisting of both the
source and the drain regions is formed by
implantation of impurities
Polysilicon Gate
Cross-Section Image
Metallization
Interconnecting the devices, such as transistors,
formed on the silicon wafer completes the circuit.
the wafer is first covered with a thick and flat
interlayer insulation film (oxide film). Next, contact
holes are drilled by lithograph and etching, through
the interlayer insulation film, above the devices to
be connected.
Nine-layer Copper Interconnect Architecture
Wafer Inspection
Each IC on the completed wafer is electronically
tested by the tester.
After this inspection, the front-end processing is
complete.
Dicing
In back end processing, a wafer completed in
front end processing is cut into individual IC
chips and encapsulated into packages.
Mounting
After the IC chips are cut apart, they
are sealed into packages. The IC
chips must first be attached to a
platform called the "lead frame.
Wire bonding
The mounted IC chips are connected to the
lead frames.
Encapsulation
The IC chips and the lead frame islands are
encapsulated with molding resin for
protection.
Characteristic Selection
The packaged IC chips are tested and
selected.
Printing and Lead Finish
The final step of IC chip manufacturing is the
printing onto the package surface and the
finishing of leads. After this step, the IC
chips are complete.