Low temperature fabrication of lateral thin film varistor
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJeffrey P. Gambino, Richard S. Graf, Sudeep Mandal
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Abstract
A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may consist of a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.
Claims17
A method of forming a lateral thin film varistor comprising:
- forming a continuous layer comprising alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.
A method of forming a lateral thin film varistor comprising:
- forming a first metal oxide layer on a dielectric layer;
- removing a portion of the first metal oxide layer to form a first opening, the first opening exposing an upper surface of the dielectric layer;
- forming an isolation layer on the dielectric layer, the isolation layer adjacent to the first metal oxide layer and in the first opening;
- removing a portion of the isolation layer from the first opening to expose the upper surface of the dielectric layer;
- forming a second metal oxide layer in the opening, wherein the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer comprise a continuous alternating layer;
- removing a portion of the isolation layer adjacent to the continuous alternating layer to form a second opening, the second opening exposing an upper surface of the dielectric layer;
- and
- forming an electrode in the second opening, the electrode adjacent to and contacting the continuous alternating layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.