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Review of some microwave integrated circuit components utilizing microstrip techniques
488
World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability
Jr chip technology which includes two-level metallisation and gold beam leads, the multiplexer is mounted on a ceramic substrate and contained in a standard DIL package. Dissipating less than (I.75 watt it outputs data faster than 300 M b s . Some conclusions concerning the merits of combining hybrid and monolithic technology are dragon.
Increasing the functional speed of positive photoresist. DAVID J. ELLIO. Solid .St. Technol. p. 66 (September 1977). A method for increasing the functional speed of positive photoresist is discussed. Optical linewidth measurement and SEM analysis are used to illustrate the effects of photoresist thickness, exposure time and developer concentration on photomask image reproduction. Finally, photoresist is related to other process parameters, including mask geometry reproduction, and a method for balancing these factors is suggested. Amorphous semiconducting silicon hydrogen alloys, H, FR1TZSCHE. C. C. TSAI and P. PI--RSANS.Solid St Technol. p. 55 (January 19781, Glow discharge decomposition of silane produces amorphous semiconductors with remarkable properties. They are very photoconductbe, have long excess carrier lifetimes, and exhibit reversible photo-
induced conductivity changes. Most importantly, these amorphous semiconductors can be doped to be either n-type or p-type. Consequently therc i~ great intercs~ in these materials for solar cnerg~ applications; Schottk~. barrier jtmction solar cells having 5.5 percent efficiency ha~e already been made by RCA. The preparation and the characteristics of these amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys are discussed.
Physical phenomena in an ideal MOS structure. A~t)r;q:J OS1ROWSK1. Eh'ctrnn Technol. I{I, 131 35 {1977t The paper presents a mathematical analysis of the eflcct of the electric field created by biasing the gate upon the charge carriers in the semiconductor layer of an ideal MOS structure, To solve the full system of time-dependent lransporl equations, use has been made of the Laplace transformation method which permits to obtain in the image space the expressions for the concentrat'ion distribution of the charge carriers of both signs, electric field intensity inside the semiconductor, space-charge density and the wdues of electron and hole current densities for any time dependence of the acting field El(l !. Transformation to the original space and detailed analysis of the associated phenomena has been performed for the case of heavily doped n-type semiconductor {11~, I'ol.
6. MICROELECTRONICS--COMPONENTS, SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENTS Microprocessors in instrumentation. WILLIAM ( . RANI)LI and NORM KER'IH. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 172 (February 1978). The surge of microprocessors into the market place may have received a lot of press coverage, but its full impact in test instrumentation is yet to be felt. The authors discuss the promise microprocessors hold for instrumentation, from the very basics Io a relatively complex design for the IEEE Standard 488 (or "GPIB") Interface Bus. They also guide the designer quickly through many of tt~e pitfalls that await the unwary, novice and expert alike, IEEE Standard 488 and microprocessor synergism. DONALI) C. LOUGHRY and MARK S. ALI.EN. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 162 (February 1978). The assembly and use of more new and versatile instrumentation systems is now enhanced dramatically with the widespread application of IEEE Standard 488-1975, "'Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation." This Standard interface provides an easy-to-use high performance concept that links instruments, calculators or computers, and peripheral devices to function as automated instrumentation systems. Microprocessor technology applied to both smart instrumentation and the implementation of IEEE Standard 488's interface functions provides still further benefits to system designers and users. This article describes both the interface function concepts important to instrumentation systems and the roles played by IEEE Standard 488 and microprocessor techniques in support of these functional concepts. Microprocessor and 1EEE Standard 488 interface techniques combine to provide designers and users with significant new tools for improved product performance, something neither technology alone could provide. In the near future, special LSI chips optimized to integrate the two technologies should further enhance the benefits for all concerned. Biomedical applications of microprocessors. VICTOR KI.I(~. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 151 (February 1978), A discussion of current microprocessor-based biomedical systems is presented. Applications covered include: methods and instruments for the measurement of blood pressure in ambulatory patients and at bedside: two approaches to limited automatic summarization of EEG data for diagnostic purposes: two developmental approaches to a microprocessor
controller for an artilicial arm: and a complex physiological monitoring system for the cardiac catheterization laboratory. A nurnbcr of issues m the current slate of technological development are also menlioncd
Evolving microprocessors which better meet the needs of automotive electronics. JOHS MaRIner. Proc IEEE 66; (2) 142 (February 19781. The rathcr explosive historical progress being made in large-scale integration of semiconductor elements is mo\ing faster than the two or three years lead timc needed in the automotive industr5 to move a new idea into production. By presenting a lbrecast of what can be done soon at a developmental level, both at the automotive electronic-control level and al the LSI microcomputer single-chip development level, the writer hope~ that the next generation of automotive e!eclronics in the early 1980"s can be started with a clear picture of the calculated risk-taking involved. Topics discussed are the need l~r custom microprocessors, input and output information rates, and applications to engine control and instrument panel display control, including the concept of satellite assemblies which exchange information a,,ailable at rem~te locations Microprocessors in consumer products. PArt M R~ss~, CttlIt-C[IUNG WANG. PHILIP K. BAL'IZER and JOSEPtt A. WFISBE(KER. Pro('. IEEE 66, 12) 131 [February 1978). The impact of LSI and microprocessor technology on a host of home consumer products is over~iewed. Trends in LSI technology are reviewed in particular as they affect programmable video display architectures, The programmable video game market is discussed and current product oil)rings are briefly described. The design tradcoffs associated with the RCA Studio II product are detailed, and a brief look into the future is presented. Review of some microwave integrated circuit components utilizing microstrip techniques. T. H. Oxt~-v. Radio Electron. En,qr 48, (1/2) 3. This paper briefly reviews some of the techniques involved in realizing the practical microwave integrated circuit for systems applications. The main technological considerations and lhcir application to
World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability advanced receiver sub-systems are discussed with emphasis on superheterodyne operation.
A survey of published information on universal logic arrays. S. L. HUP,ST. Microelectron. Reliab. 16, 663 (1977). Increasing commercial pressure for (i) standard monolithic circuit layouts and (ii) reduced design times for custom design requirements, is placing increasing emphasis upon the desirability of using standard arrays which may readily be committed for particular requirements. This general survey briefly reviews existing logic concepts in the field of "universal" arrays, many of which have no present (or foreseeable?) commercial viability. However, for completeness, all known general concepts have been surveyed in this document for reference purposes. Note, software-based systems (i.e. microprocessors) are specifically excluded from this survey, being entirely outside our present area of interest One of the fundamental problems of the random-logic area is how best to use the resources of l.s.i, technology but at the same time maintain the flexibility of the single logic gate approach, custom design of special logic requirements and realization in unique monolithic form being in general a completely uneconomic approach for smallquantity requirements. A more viable approach, however, is to consider programmable devices, that is l.s.i, circuits which are general-purpose networks and which finally may be arranged so as to perform specific duties. In this area we will first look at two main contenders, the programmable read-only-memory ("PROM") and the programmable logic array ("PLA'), following which we will consider other theoretical possibilities which have not to date been commercially exploited. Microprocessors heed the call to supervise I/O. G. MARAZAS. Electronics p. 104 (2 February 1978). Applying distributed processing to a minicomputer's input and output chores boosts throughput, cuts costs. Multiprocessor systems. P. HUGHES and T. DOONE. Microeletron. Reliab. 16, 281 (1977). Microprocessor software is becoming more complex, as the one unit is used to handle a multiple of tasks. This leads to considerable overhead in task scheduling software. In addition, communication between separate microprocessor systems also requires extra software. If, however, two or more microprocessors may be attached to the same bus, then many disadvantages of single microprocessor realisations are eliminated. These points, together with practical applications for systems and peripheral controllers are discussed. Take the guesswork out of thick micrnstrip. K. P. SCHWAN. Microwaves p. 184 (December 1977). Don't guess thickness correction when calculating the effective dielectric constant of thick microstrip. Instead, use a simple graph to put Kefl" on the line. 16-bit wave gathering speed. L. ARMSTRONG. Electronics p. 84 (16 February 1978). With users looking for more throughput and greater accuracy, Intel, Zilog, and Motorola are poised to jump in.
The study of microcircuits by transmission electron microsgopy. W. E. HAM, M. S. ABRAHAMS,J. BLANC and C. J. BUIOCCHI. RCA Rev. 38, 351 (September 1977). The use of transmission electron microscope (TEM) methods, especially in cross section, for detailed physical examination of the components of microcircuits is discussed from a device engineer's point of view. Careful attention is given to the type of problem that can best be studied by this
489
method. Details of the required sample preparation process are shown and suggestions are made for ensuring a high probability of success with the samples. Since many readers will be unfamiliar with the mechanisms of TEM image formation, a brief discussion of the features of the sample that cause contrast is included. Specific examples showing use of the method on samples of interest to silicon-on-sapphire technology are presented. These samples show an anomalous thinning effect in the thermal oxide grown on silicon island edges that has not previously been noted. They also clearly demonstrate the capability of seeing layers as thin as 10 A,, as well as the interfaces between almost every material commonly used for the manufacture of microcircuits. Defect distributions within the single-crystal silicon and near the edges of the silicon islands are clearly shown, as is the grain size distribution present in heavily doped polycrystalline silicon used for gate metalization. A possible anomalous boron diffusion phenomenon in polycrystalline silicon due to the grain size distribution is suggested. An example using oxide isolation methods shows that accurate modelling of such processes is possible from the excellent profiles obtained by cross sectional TEM methods.
Dedicated LSI chips aim at communications. R. GUNDLACH. Electronics p. 125 (16 February 1978). The advent of largescale integration is creating a technological revolution in the telecommunications industry. Spurred on by the growing sophistication in today's communications technology and the increased activity in digital switching (itself a result of LSI advances), semiconductor manufacturers are busily developing dedicated-function chips to meet the growing needs of communications companies. Now, after several years' work, a flood of new chips is surfacing-codecs, tone dialers and decoders, fiber-optic transmitter and receiver interface chips, and the like. FETs move up in power and frequency. W. F. ARNOLD. Electronics p. 131 (2 February 1978). V-channel devices rated for up to 100W cw at 175MHz are easy to bias, hard to destroy. Molybdenum-gate RAM is designed for high speed. Electronics p. 3E (16 February 1978). Experimental 16-k device has capacitively coupled sense amp, dummy sense circuit, and two multiplexers. Microprogramming a minicomputer for fast signal processing. TIMOTHY MULROONEY. Electronics p. 136 (16 March 1978). Storing operating-system instructions as well as the fast Fourier transform in a writable control memory boosts throughput by an order of magnitude. An experimental application of microprocessors to railway signalling. A. H. CRrSBENS, M. J. FURNISS and H. A. RYLAND. Electron. Power p. 209 (March 1978). The Research Division of British Rail is engaged in a programme of development which, it is hoped, will result in a microprocessor-based alternative to the electromechanical interlocking equipment used in present-day signalling systems. An alternative system must match the outstanding safety and reliability of present*day signalling technology, which has evolved over a long period of time. Communications chip interfaces with most microprocessors. SAM TRAVIS. Electronics p. 123 (16 March 1978). ACE, a completely bidirectional asynchronous line-control element, also has a priority interrupt scheme and on-chip band-rate generator.
World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability
Jr chip technology which includes two-level metallisation and gold beam leads, the multiplexer is mounted on a ceramic substrate and contained in a standard DIL package. Dissipating less than (I.75 watt it outputs data faster than 300 M b s . Some conclusions concerning the merits of combining hybrid and monolithic technology are dragon.
Increasing the functional speed of positive photoresist. DAVID J. ELLIO. Solid .St. Technol. p. 66 (September 1977). A method for increasing the functional speed of positive photoresist is discussed. Optical linewidth measurement and SEM analysis are used to illustrate the effects of photoresist thickness, exposure time and developer concentration on photomask image reproduction. Finally, photoresist is related to other process parameters, including mask geometry reproduction, and a method for balancing these factors is suggested. Amorphous semiconducting silicon hydrogen alloys, H, FR1TZSCHE. C. C. TSAI and P. PI--RSANS.Solid St Technol. p. 55 (January 19781, Glow discharge decomposition of silane produces amorphous semiconductors with remarkable properties. They are very photoconductbe, have long excess carrier lifetimes, and exhibit reversible photo-
induced conductivity changes. Most importantly, these amorphous semiconductors can be doped to be either n-type or p-type. Consequently therc i~ great intercs~ in these materials for solar cnerg~ applications; Schottk~. barrier jtmction solar cells having 5.5 percent efficiency ha~e already been made by RCA. The preparation and the characteristics of these amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys are discussed.
Physical phenomena in an ideal MOS structure. A~t)r;q:J OS1ROWSK1. Eh'ctrnn Technol. I{I, 131 35 {1977t The paper presents a mathematical analysis of the eflcct of the electric field created by biasing the gate upon the charge carriers in the semiconductor layer of an ideal MOS structure, To solve the full system of time-dependent lransporl equations, use has been made of the Laplace transformation method which permits to obtain in the image space the expressions for the concentrat'ion distribution of the charge carriers of both signs, electric field intensity inside the semiconductor, space-charge density and the wdues of electron and hole current densities for any time dependence of the acting field El(l !. Transformation to the original space and detailed analysis of the associated phenomena has been performed for the case of heavily doped n-type semiconductor {11~, I'ol.
6. MICROELECTRONICS--COMPONENTS, SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENTS Microprocessors in instrumentation. WILLIAM ( . RANI)LI and NORM KER'IH. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 172 (February 1978). The surge of microprocessors into the market place may have received a lot of press coverage, but its full impact in test instrumentation is yet to be felt. The authors discuss the promise microprocessors hold for instrumentation, from the very basics Io a relatively complex design for the IEEE Standard 488 (or "GPIB") Interface Bus. They also guide the designer quickly through many of tt~e pitfalls that await the unwary, novice and expert alike, IEEE Standard 488 and microprocessor synergism. DONALI) C. LOUGHRY and MARK S. ALI.EN. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 162 (February 1978). The assembly and use of more new and versatile instrumentation systems is now enhanced dramatically with the widespread application of IEEE Standard 488-1975, "'Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation." This Standard interface provides an easy-to-use high performance concept that links instruments, calculators or computers, and peripheral devices to function as automated instrumentation systems. Microprocessor technology applied to both smart instrumentation and the implementation of IEEE Standard 488's interface functions provides still further benefits to system designers and users. This article describes both the interface function concepts important to instrumentation systems and the roles played by IEEE Standard 488 and microprocessor techniques in support of these functional concepts. Microprocessor and 1EEE Standard 488 interface techniques combine to provide designers and users with significant new tools for improved product performance, something neither technology alone could provide. In the near future, special LSI chips optimized to integrate the two technologies should further enhance the benefits for all concerned. Biomedical applications of microprocessors. VICTOR KI.I(~. Proc. IEEE 66, (2) 151 (February 1978), A discussion of current microprocessor-based biomedical systems is presented. Applications covered include: methods and instruments for the measurement of blood pressure in ambulatory patients and at bedside: two approaches to limited automatic summarization of EEG data for diagnostic purposes: two developmental approaches to a microprocessor
controller for an artilicial arm: and a complex physiological monitoring system for the cardiac catheterization laboratory. A nurnbcr of issues m the current slate of technological development are also menlioncd
Evolving microprocessors which better meet the needs of automotive electronics. JOHS MaRIner. Proc IEEE 66; (2) 142 (February 19781. The rathcr explosive historical progress being made in large-scale integration of semiconductor elements is mo\ing faster than the two or three years lead timc needed in the automotive industr5 to move a new idea into production. By presenting a lbrecast of what can be done soon at a developmental level, both at the automotive electronic-control level and al the LSI microcomputer single-chip development level, the writer hope~ that the next generation of automotive e!eclronics in the early 1980"s can be started with a clear picture of the calculated risk-taking involved. Topics discussed are the need l~r custom microprocessors, input and output information rates, and applications to engine control and instrument panel display control, including the concept of satellite assemblies which exchange information a,,ailable at rem~te locations Microprocessors in consumer products. PArt M R~ss~, CttlIt-C[IUNG WANG. PHILIP K. BAL'IZER and JOSEPtt A. WFISBE(KER. Pro('. IEEE 66, 12) 131 [February 1978). The impact of LSI and microprocessor technology on a host of home consumer products is over~iewed. Trends in LSI technology are reviewed in particular as they affect programmable video display architectures, The programmable video game market is discussed and current product oil)rings are briefly described. The design tradcoffs associated with the RCA Studio II product are detailed, and a brief look into the future is presented. Review of some microwave integrated circuit components utilizing microstrip techniques. T. H. Oxt~-v. Radio Electron. En,qr 48, (1/2) 3. This paper briefly reviews some of the techniques involved in realizing the practical microwave integrated circuit for systems applications. The main technological considerations and lhcir application to
World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability advanced receiver sub-systems are discussed with emphasis on superheterodyne operation.
A survey of published information on universal logic arrays. S. L. HUP,ST. Microelectron. Reliab. 16, 663 (1977). Increasing commercial pressure for (i) standard monolithic circuit layouts and (ii) reduced design times for custom design requirements, is placing increasing emphasis upon the desirability of using standard arrays which may readily be committed for particular requirements. This general survey briefly reviews existing logic concepts in the field of "universal" arrays, many of which have no present (or foreseeable?) commercial viability. However, for completeness, all known general concepts have been surveyed in this document for reference purposes. Note, software-based systems (i.e. microprocessors) are specifically excluded from this survey, being entirely outside our present area of interest One of the fundamental problems of the random-logic area is how best to use the resources of l.s.i, technology but at the same time maintain the flexibility of the single logic gate approach, custom design of special logic requirements and realization in unique monolithic form being in general a completely uneconomic approach for smallquantity requirements. A more viable approach, however, is to consider programmable devices, that is l.s.i, circuits which are general-purpose networks and which finally may be arranged so as to perform specific duties. In this area we will first look at two main contenders, the programmable read-only-memory ("PROM") and the programmable logic array ("PLA'), following which we will consider other theoretical possibilities which have not to date been commercially exploited. Microprocessors heed the call to supervise I/O. G. MARAZAS. Electronics p. 104 (2 February 1978). Applying distributed processing to a minicomputer's input and output chores boosts throughput, cuts costs. Multiprocessor systems. P. HUGHES and T. DOONE. Microeletron. Reliab. 16, 281 (1977). Microprocessor software is becoming more complex, as the one unit is used to handle a multiple of tasks. This leads to considerable overhead in task scheduling software. In addition, communication between separate microprocessor systems also requires extra software. If, however, two or more microprocessors may be attached to the same bus, then many disadvantages of single microprocessor realisations are eliminated. These points, together with practical applications for systems and peripheral controllers are discussed. Take the guesswork out of thick micrnstrip. K. P. SCHWAN. Microwaves p. 184 (December 1977). Don't guess thickness correction when calculating the effective dielectric constant of thick microstrip. Instead, use a simple graph to put Kefl" on the line. 16-bit wave gathering speed. L. ARMSTRONG. Electronics p. 84 (16 February 1978). With users looking for more throughput and greater accuracy, Intel, Zilog, and Motorola are poised to jump in.
The study of microcircuits by transmission electron microsgopy. W. E. HAM, M. S. ABRAHAMS,J. BLANC and C. J. BUIOCCHI. RCA Rev. 38, 351 (September 1977). The use of transmission electron microscope (TEM) methods, especially in cross section, for detailed physical examination of the components of microcircuits is discussed from a device engineer's point of view. Careful attention is given to the type of problem that can best be studied by this
489
method. Details of the required sample preparation process are shown and suggestions are made for ensuring a high probability of success with the samples. Since many readers will be unfamiliar with the mechanisms of TEM image formation, a brief discussion of the features of the sample that cause contrast is included. Specific examples showing use of the method on samples of interest to silicon-on-sapphire technology are presented. These samples show an anomalous thinning effect in the thermal oxide grown on silicon island edges that has not previously been noted. They also clearly demonstrate the capability of seeing layers as thin as 10 A,, as well as the interfaces between almost every material commonly used for the manufacture of microcircuits. Defect distributions within the single-crystal silicon and near the edges of the silicon islands are clearly shown, as is the grain size distribution present in heavily doped polycrystalline silicon used for gate metalization. A possible anomalous boron diffusion phenomenon in polycrystalline silicon due to the grain size distribution is suggested. An example using oxide isolation methods shows that accurate modelling of such processes is possible from the excellent profiles obtained by cross sectional TEM methods.
Dedicated LSI chips aim at communications. R. GUNDLACH. Electronics p. 125 (16 February 1978). The advent of largescale integration is creating a technological revolution in the telecommunications industry. Spurred on by the growing sophistication in today's communications technology and the increased activity in digital switching (itself a result of LSI advances), semiconductor manufacturers are busily developing dedicated-function chips to meet the growing needs of communications companies. Now, after several years' work, a flood of new chips is surfacing-codecs, tone dialers and decoders, fiber-optic transmitter and receiver interface chips, and the like. FETs move up in power and frequency. W. F. ARNOLD. Electronics p. 131 (2 February 1978). V-channel devices rated for up to 100W cw at 175MHz are easy to bias, hard to destroy. Molybdenum-gate RAM is designed for high speed. Electronics p. 3E (16 February 1978). Experimental 16-k device has capacitively coupled sense amp, dummy sense circuit, and two multiplexers. Microprogramming a minicomputer for fast signal processing. TIMOTHY MULROONEY. Electronics p. 136 (16 March 1978). Storing operating-system instructions as well as the fast Fourier transform in a writable control memory boosts throughput by an order of magnitude. An experimental application of microprocessors to railway signalling. A. H. CRrSBENS, M. J. FURNISS and H. A. RYLAND. Electron. Power p. 209 (March 1978). The Research Division of British Rail is engaged in a programme of development which, it is hoped, will result in a microprocessor-based alternative to the electromechanical interlocking equipment used in present-day signalling systems. An alternative system must match the outstanding safety and reliability of present*day signalling technology, which has evolved over a long period of time. Communications chip interfaces with most microprocessors. SAM TRAVIS. Electronics p. 123 (16 March 1978). ACE, a completely bidirectional asynchronous line-control element, also has a priority interrupt scheme and on-chip band-rate generator.