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US 7,459,403 B1Granted
Method for reducing device and circuit sensitivity to electrical stress and radiation induced aging
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsRoderick A. B. Devine, Harold L. Hughes, Akos G. Revesz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In microelectronic circuits involving dielectric/semiconductor interfaces having interstitial sites in the dielectric, a method for hardening these interfaces by introducing a small atomic diameter inert gas into the interstitial sites.
Claims6
A method of suppressing de-passivation aging of microelectronic circuits having dielectric/semiconductor interfaces, the method comprising:
- providing said microelectronic circuits of said dielectric/semiconductor interfaces, which dangling bonds present in said dielectric/semiconductor interfaces and in which said dangling bonds have been passivated by chemically combining said dangling bonds with hydrogen species during fabrication process of said microelectronic circuits to form a semiconductor-hydrogen species bonds, wherein said interface being subsequently subjected to the aging processes of electrical stress and/or radiation causing said semiconductor-hydrogen species bonds to be broken and thereby causing said hydrogen species to diffuse away from said interface via said interstitial channels of said dielectric;
- filling said interstitial channels of said dielectric with a small atomic diameter inert gas, and thereby suppressing said de-passivation aging by confining said hydrogen species at said interfaces by said filling of said interstitial channels with said small atomic diameter inert gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.