Collaborative Research: Integrated Graphene NEMS Switch ESD Protection for Low-Power ICs

ECCS 提案编号 1405059 提案标题：协作研究：用于节能 IC 的石墨烯 NEMS 开关 ESD 保护电路获奖目标开发基于石墨烯的机械开关，作为下一代节能集成电路静电放电故障的未来可靠性解决方案非技术摘要除了性能之外，可靠性是任何集成电路 (IC) 和系统的关键关注点。静电放电 (ESD) 故障被认为是 IC 和电子系统最重要的可靠性问题之一，每年给电子行业造成数十亿美元的收入损失。从本质上讲，如果没有适当和强大的 ESD 保护措施，任何电子系统（包括智能手机、平板电脑、个人电脑、电视机、无线路由器、植入式生物医学设备等）都无法在市场上生存，因为不可避免的 ESD 浪涌会对任何电子产品造成现实威胁，导致现实世界中的损坏。随着微电子技术的不断进步，其特征尺寸的不断缩小和集成度的提高，长达十年的利用有源电子器件的传统ESD保护解决方案已不再被接受，因为与任何ESD保护器件相关的固有寄生效应将显着降低IC和系统的性能。例如，对于下一代节能电子产品来说，与ESD结构相关的漏电流将变得相对过高。这项工作提出了一种全新的 ESD 保护概念，并将开发革命性的基于石墨烯的机械开关结构，作为潜在的 ESD 保护解决方案。由于其机械特性，石墨烯开关将为 IC 提供足够的 ESD 保护，而不会产生固有的漏电流，这将使下一代节能 IC 和系统成为可能，用简单的语言来说，这意味着更低的功耗，从而延长电子产品的电池使用时间。如果成功，新型石墨烯开关 ESD 保护解决方案将通过帮助创建一个绿色社会，对人类产生直接影响。UCR-UCLA 的合作将推动电气工程和材料科学之间跨校园的跨学科研究。该产学合作计划将产生巨大的社会影响，包括给美国微电子行业带来技术和经济效益。建议开展综合研究教育活动，让学生接触当代微/纳米电子可靠性研究和微电子行业，并为美国培训技术和全球合格的劳动力。鼓励代表性不足的少数族裔学生参与相关研究活动。技术摘要随着 IC 技术发展到纳米级，静电放电 (ESD) 故障正在成为集成电路 (IC) 和系统最具破坏性的可靠性问题，这需要片上 ESD 保护。同时，新兴纳米技术还需要足够的 ESD 保护，以实现可靠的实际应用。几十年来，传统的 ESD 保护依赖于基于 PN 结的结构，这种结构不再适用于节能 IC 和纳米电子产品。特别是，ESD引起的漏电对于超低功耗和高可靠性IC来说越来越难以忍受，例如用于绿色系统的节能IC，包括移动电子和极其可靠的植入式生物医学设备等。石墨烯具有超强的导电性和导热性，以及薄层和机械强度，是制作新型ESD保护结构的理想选择。加州大学的研究人员提出了一种革命性的石墨烯 NEMS（纳米机电系统）开关 ESD 保护概念，作为绿色 IC 的潜在集成可靠性设计 (DfR) 解决方案，以应对新兴的片上 ESD 保护挑战。本研究将1）开发用于节能IC的石墨烯超级ESD线路放电器，2）开发用于超低功耗IC的石墨烯NEMS开关ESD保护机制和结构，3）开发CMOS兼容的石墨烯ESD保护结构制造工艺，以及4）开发用于IC设计演示的基于石墨烯的ESD保护器件模型。新颖之处在于充分利用石墨烯的弹道电热传输特性以及超强的机械强度特性，为下一代节能IC实现零泄漏、低寄生和强大的ESD保护。

ECCS Prop. No. 1405059Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: Graphene NEMS Switch ESD Protection Circuit for Energy-Efficient ICsAward GoalDeveloping graphene-based mechanical switches as a future reliability solution to electrostatic discharge failures to next-generation energy-efficient integrated circuitsNontechnical AbstractAside from the performance, reliability is the key concern to any integrated circuits (ICs) and systems. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) failure is regarded as one of the most significant reliability problems to ICs and electronic systems, which results in billions of dollars of revenue losses each year to the electronic industry. Essentially, no electronic systems, including smartphones, tablets, personal computers, television sets, wireless routers, implantable biomedical devices, etc., may survive the market without proper and robust ESD protection measures in place, because the inevitable ESD surges represent a live threat to any electronic products due to damages in real world. As microelectronics technologies continue advance as represented by the aggressive scaling down of its feature sizes and higher integration level, the decade-long traditional ESD protection solutions utilizing active electronic devices can no longer be acceptable because the inherent parasitic effects associated with any ESD protection devices will significantly degrade the performance of ICs and systems. For example, the leakage current associated with an ESD structure will become relatively too high for the next-generation energy-efficient electronic products. A completely new ESD protection concept is proposed and revolutionary graphene-based mechanical switch structures will be developed in this work as a potential ESD protection solution. Because of its mechanical nature, the graphene switches will provide adequate ESD protection to ICs without inherent leakage current, which shall enable next-generation energy-efficient ICs and systems that, in plain language, translates into lower power consumption, hence, longer battery time for an electronic product. If successful, the novel graphene switch ESD protection solution shall make immediate impacts to the humanity by helping to create a greener society.The UCR-UCLA collaboration will boost interdisciplinary research between Electrical Engineering and Materials Science beyond the campus boundaries. The academic-industrial collaboration plan will have great social impacts, including technical and economic benefits to the American Microelectronics industry. Integrated research-education activities are proposed to expose students to contemporary micro/nano-electronics reliability research and the Microelectronics industry, as well as to train technically and globally competent workforces for the America. Underrepresented minority students are encouraged to involve in related research activities.Technical AbstractElectrostatic Discharge (ESD) failure is becoming the most devastating reliability problem to integrated circuits (IC) and systems as IC technologies advance into nano scale, which requires on-chip ESD protection. Meanwhile, emerging nano technologies also requires adequate ESD protection to enable reliable real-world applications. For decades, traditional ESD protection relies on PN-junction-based structures, which no longer work for energy-efficient ICs and nano electronics. Particularly, ESD-induced leakage becomes increasingly intolerable to ultra-low-power and high-reliable ICs, such as energy-efficient ICs for green systems including mobile electronics and extremely-reliable implantable biomedical devices, etc. Graphene, with super electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as thin layer and mechanical strength, is ideal for making a new breed of ESD protection structures. The investigators at the University of California propose a revolutionary graphene NEMS (nano electromechanical system) switch ESD protection concept as a potential integrated design-for-reliability (DfR) solution for green ICs to address the emerging on-chip ESD protection challenges. This research will 1) develop Graphene super ESD line discharger for energy-efficient ICs, 2) develop Graphene NEMS switch ESD protection mechanism and structures for ultra-low-power ICs, 3) develop CMOS-compatible Graphene ESD protection structure fabrication process, and 4) develop Graphene-based ESD protection device models for IC design demonstration. The novelty is to take full use of graphene ballistic electrical and thermal transport properties, and super mechanical strength feature, to achieve zero-leakage, low-parasitic and robust ESD protection for next-generation energy-efficient ICs.