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

ECCS道具NO.1405059建议标题：合作研究：用于节能IC的石墨烯NEMS开关ESD保护电路奖励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从性能和可靠性方面考虑，是任何集成电路(IC)和系统的关键问题。静电放电(ESD)故障被认为是集成电路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，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、植入式生物医疗设备等，如果没有适当和强大的ESD保护措施，就无法在市场上生存，因为不可避免的ESD激增是对任何电子产品的实时威胁，因为现实世界中的损坏。随着微电子技术的不断进步，其特征尺寸的大幅缩小和集成度的提高，使用有源电子器件的长达十年的传统ESD保护解决方案已不能再被接受，因为与任何ESD保护器件相关的固有寄生效应将显著降低IC和系统的性能。例如，对于下一代节能电子产品来说，与ESD结构相关的泄漏电流将变得相对过高。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，而不会固有泄漏电流，这将使下一代节能IC和系统成为可能，通俗地说，这将转化为更低的功耗，从而延长电子产品的电池时间。如果成功，新型石墨烯开关ESD保护解决方案将立即对人类产生影响，帮助创造一个更绿色的社会。UCR和UCLA的合作将推动电气工程和材料科学之间的跨学科研究超越校园边界。产学研合作计划将对美国微电子产业产生巨大的社会影响，包括技术和经济效益。建议开展综合研究-教育活动，使学生接触当代微纳电子可靠性研究和微电子产业，并为美国培养技术和全球能力强的劳动力。技术摘要随着集成电路(IC)技术向纳米级发展，静电放电(ESD)故障正成为集成电路(IC)和系统最具破坏性的可靠性问题，这就需要芯片上的ESD保护。与此同时，新兴的纳米技术也需要足够的ESD保护，以实现可靠的现实世界应用。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高能效IC和纳米电子产品。特别是，ESD引起的泄漏变得越来越无法忍受超低功耗和高可靠性的IC，例如用于绿色系统的高能效IC，包括移动电子和极其可靠的植入式生物医学设备等。石墨烯具有超高的导电性和导热性，以及薄层和机械强度，是制造新型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，以应对新出现的芯片上ESD保护挑战。本研究将1)开发适用于高能效IC的石墨烯超ESD线放电器，2)开发适用于超低功耗IC的石墨烯NEMS开关ESD保护机制和结构，3)开发与CMOS兼容的石墨烯ESD保护结构制作工艺，4)开发用于IC设计演示的石墨烯ESD保护器件模型。其新奇之处在于充分利用石墨烯弹道的电和热传输特性，以及超强的机械强度特性，为下一代节能IC实现零泄漏、低寄生和稳健的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.