126:
These measurements continue to be important after other process steps have been performed, including lithography, etching, cleaning, dielectric and polysilicon depositions, and metallization, among others. Once devices have been fully fabricated, C–V profiling is often used to characterize threshold
110:
These measurements' fundamental nature makes them applicable to a wide range of research tasks and disciplines. For example, researchers use them in university and semiconductor manufacturers' labs to evaluate new processes, materials, devices, and circuits. These measurements are extremely valuable
189:
At larger gate bias still, near the semiconductor surface the conduction band edge is brought close to the Fermi level, populating the surface with electrons in an inversion layer or n-channel at the interface between the semiconductor and the oxide. This results in a capacitance increase, as shown
106:
Many researchers use capacitance–voltage (C–V) testing to determine semiconductor parameters, particularly in MOSCAP and MOSFET structures. However, C–V measurements are also widely used to characterize other types of semiconductor devices and technologies, including bipolar junction transistors,
114:
A multitude of semiconductor device and material parameters can be derived from C–V measurements with appropriate methodologies, instrumentation, and software. This information is used throughout the semiconductor production chain, and begins with evaluating epitaxially grown crystals, including
134:
111:
to product and yield enhancement engineers who are responsible for improving processes and device performance. Reliability engineers also use these measurements to qualify the suppliers of the materials they use, to monitor process parameters, and to analyze failure mechanisms.
122:
for bulk MOSFET with different oxide thicknesses. Notice that the red curve indicates low frequency whereas the blue curve illustrates the high-frequency C–V profile. Pay particular attention to the shift in threshold voltage with different oxide thicknesses.
130:
C–V measurements are done by using capacitance–voltage meters of
Electronic Instrumentation. They are used to analyze the doping profiles of semiconductor devices by the obtained C–V graphs.
210:-channel case, but with opposite polarities of charges and voltages. The increase in hole density corresponds to increase in capacitance, shown in the left part of right figure.
181:, and holes from the body are driven away from the gate, resulting in a low carrier density, so the capacitance is low (the valley in the middle of the figure to the right).
263:
J. Hilibrand and R.D. Gold, "Determination of the
Impurity Distribution in Junction Diodes From Capacitance-Voltage Measurements", RCA Review, vol. 21, p. 245, June 1960
118:
C–V measurements can reveal oxide thickness, oxide charges, contamination from mobile ions, and interface trap density in wafer processes. A C–V profile as generated on
86:. The dependence of the depletion width upon the applied voltage provides information on the semiconductor's internal characteristics, such as its doping profile and
244:
82:. The depletion region with its ionized charges inside behaves like a capacitor. By varying the voltage applied to the junction it is possible to vary the
107:
JFETs, III–V compound devices, photovoltaic cells, MEMS devices, organic thin-film transistor (TFT) displays, photodiodes, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
403:
314:
87:
75:
274:
219:
368:
341:
284:
239:
234:
95:
331:
165:-channel MOSFET's operation can be divided into three regions, shown below and corresponding to the right figure.
155:
127:
voltages and other parameters during reliability and basic device testing and to model device performance.
31:
358:
390:
enables users to compute C-V characteristics for different doping profiles, materials, and temperatures.
133:
90:
densities. Measurements may be done at DC, or using both DC and a small-signal AC signal (the
364:
337:
310:
280:
151:
55:
224:
63:
51:
229:
83:
115:
parameters such as average doping concentration, doping profiles, and carrier lifetimes.
304:
397:
71:
47:
198:
When a negative gate-source voltage (positive source-gate) is applied, it creates a
174:
178:
39:
360:
67:
119:
42:
is measured and plotted as a function of voltage. The technique uses a
35:
387:
147:
59:
333:
Diagnostic
Measurements in LSI/VLSI Integrated Circuits Production
132:
43:
173:
When a small positive bias voltage is applied to the metal, the
16:
Technique for characterizing semiconductor materials and devices
137:
C–V profile for a bulk MOSFET with different oxide thickness.
146:
A metal–oxide–semiconductor structure is critical part of a
142:
C–V characteristics of metal–oxide–semiconductor structure
306:
330:Andrzej Jakubowski, Henryk M. Przewłocki (1991).
298:
296:
8:
357:Sheng S. Li and Sorin Cristoloveanu (1995).
276:Handbook of Silicon Semiconductor Metrology
66:, a region which is empty of conducting
256:
74:, but may contain ionized donors and
7:
30:) is a technique for characterizing
303:E.H. Nicollian, J.R. Brews (2002).
245:Metal–oxide–semiconductor structure
190:in the right part of right figure.
14:
336:. World Scientific. p. 159.
240:Deep-level transient spectroscopy
235:Drive Level Capacitance Profiling
404:Semiconductor device fabrication
388:MOScap simulator on nanoHUB.org
363:. Springer. Chapter 6, p. 163.
202:-channel at the surface of the
273:Alain C. Diebold, ed. (2001).
220:Current–voltage characteristic
96:large-signal transient voltage
1:
279:. CRC Press. pp. 59–60.
20:Capacitance–voltage profiling
177:edge is driven far from the
150:, controlling the height of
76:electrically active defects
420:
88:electrically active defect
206:region, analogous to the
34:and devices. The applied
32:semiconductor materials
138:
136:
158:via the gate oxide.
38:is varied, and the
139:
92:conductance method
316:978-0-471-43079-7
152:potential barrier
411:
375:
374:
354:
348:
347:
327:
321:
320:
300:
291:
290:
270:
264:
261:
225:Depletion region
64:depletion region
52:Schottky barrier
419:
418:
414:
413:
412:
410:
409:
408:
394:
393:
384:
379:
378:
371:
356:
355:
351:
344:
329:
328:
324:
317:
302:
301:
294:
287:
272:
271:
267:
262:
258:
253:
230:Depletion width
216:
196:
187:
171:
144:
104:
84:depletion width
17:
12:
11:
5:
417:
415:
407:
406:
396:
395:
392:
391:
383:
382:External links
380:
377:
376:
369:
349:
342:
322:
315:
292:
285:
265:
255:
254:
252:
249:
248:
247:
242:
237:
232:
227:
222:
215:
212:
195:
192:
186:
183:
170:
167:
143:
140:
103:
100:
94:), or using a
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
416:
405:
402:
401:
399:
389:
386:
385:
381:
372:
370:0-7923-9548-4
366:
362:
361:
353:
350:
345:
343:981-02-0282-2
339:
335:
334:
326:
323:
318:
312:
308:
307:
299:
297:
293:
288:
286:0-8247-0506-8
282:
278:
277:
269:
266:
260:
257:
250:
246:
243:
241:
238:
236:
233:
231:
228:
226:
223:
221:
218:
217:
213:
211:
209:
205:
201:
193:
191:
184:
182:
180:
176:
168:
166:
164:
159:
157:
153:
149:
141:
135:
131:
128:
124:
121:
116:
112:
108:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
48:semiconductor
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
24:C–V profiling
21:
359:
352:
332:
325:
305:
275:
268:
259:
207:
203:
199:
197:
194:Accumulation
188:
175:valence band
172:
162:
160:
145:
129:
125:
117:
113:
109:
105:
91:
79:
62:to create a
56:p–n junction
28:CV profiling
27:
26:, sometimes
23:
19:
18:
179:Fermi level
102:Application
40:capacitance
251:References
50:junction (
309:. Wiley.
185:Inversion
169:Depletion
68:electrons
398:Category
214:See also
156:channel
154:in the
120:nanoHUB
54:) or a
36:voltage
367:
340:
313:
283:
148:MOSFET
60:MOSFET
80:traps
72:holes
58:or a
44:metal
365:ISBN
338:ISBN
311:ISBN
281:ISBN
70:and
22:(or
161:An
78:or
400::
295:^
98:.
373:.
346:.
319:.
289:.
208:n
204:n
200:p
163:n
46:–
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.