학술논문

Transfer-printed microscale integrated circuits
Document Type
Conference
Source
2009 59th Electronic Components and Technology Conference Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 2009. ECTC 2009. 59th. :618-623 May, 2009
Subject
Components, Circuits, Devices and Systems
Engineered Materials, Dielectrics and Plasmas
Photonics and Electrooptics
Substrates
Silicon
Integrated circuit technology
Assembly
Semiconductor devices
Glass
Plastics
Integrated circuit yield
CMOS integrated circuits
CMOS process
Language
ISSN
0569-5503
2377-5726
Abstract
Transfer-printing is an emerging technology that enables massively parallel assembly of microscale semiconductor devices onto virtually any target substrate, including glass, plastics, metals or other semiconductors. Transfer-printing is accomplished using a microstructured elastomeric stamp to selectively pick-up devices from a source wafer and then print the devices onto a target substrate. The process is massively parallel as the stamps are designed to transfer hundreds to thousands of discrete devices in a single pick-up and print operation. Previous studies using bare silicon chips [1] demonstrated transfer-print yields in excess of 99% and chip placement accuracy better than ± 5 µm. For the first time, foundry-produced CMOS integrated circuits have been designed and transfer-printed. The ICs were designed and built using a commercially available silicon-on-oxide (SOI) CMOS process. The buried oxide (BOx) underneath the device layer is used as a sacrificial layer to “release” the ICs from the handle wafer. Microfabricated silicon bridges, or tethers, are used to fasten the ICs to the handle wafer following the sacrificial etch. A process was developed to remove the sacrificial BOx while protecting the interlayer dielectric (ILD) and Aluminum wiring levels present in the ICs. The microscale ICs have been transfer-printed with yields in excess of 99.5% and with placement accuracies better than ± 5 µm. Surface topography present on the ICs did not negatively impact the transfer-printing process. Initial studies show that transfer-printing has negligible impact on the I-V characteristics of transistors.