Investigation of effect of electrostatic discharge and protection methodologies in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)

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Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a major reliability issue affecting electronic devices and systems. The duscharge event involves the approach of a charged body to another body and occurs in commercial, industrial, medical and military environments. These discharges are very fast, high energy events; permanent or hard failures can result in electronic devices while an upset or soft failure can occur in digital systems. Emerging semiconductor technologies have increased sensitivity to ESD; the ever expanding market for portable and wireless applications demands products with better performance and ESD robustness. The inherent ESD sensitivity of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) require research and development of protection methodologies for these structures. The objectives of the proposed research program relate to the advanced study of the basic characterisitics of the ESD event for nanostructures, the measurement of ESD induced phenomena, and the development of protection methods and control processes for application at the device and system levels. The methodology applied in this research will involve a balance between the experimental approach and mathematical analyses of models which simulate the events. Advanced modelling of the ESD event will contribute to a better understanding of the phenomena and will assist in the development of test methods and standards which accurately simulate the ESD event in nanostructures. The proposed study of ESD in these structures will have specific application in MEMS and NEMS. The results of the proposed research on the investigation of charge and potential control of ESD events will improve the reliability of electronic devices used in consumer, industrial, medical and military applications.