- Email: [email protected]
Understanding Semiconductor Devices; Sima Dimitrijev. Oxford University Press, New York. 2000. ISBN: 0-19-513186-X
142
Book reviews
failure modes, and their key reliability indices as well as deep sub-micron technology challenges. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the increasing need and implementation of the design for reliability methodologies. Application of fundamental physics of failure methods and a good understanding of design and business realities associated with the IC industry are the pathways to the design of better reliability practices. In view of the above discussion, this book will be useful for design and process engineers in manufacturing, as well as for graduate and post-graduate students
for understanding the management of silicon chip reliability. In addition, the book is a stimulus for researchers to ®nd new methods of managing the reliability of semiconductor products. M. Jevtic Institute for Physics, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Zemun, Yugoslavia Tel.: +381-11-3160-260; fax: +381-11-3162-190
0026-2714/01/$ - see front matter Ó 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 6 - 2 7 1 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 3 1 - 6
Understanding Semiconductor Devices; Sima Dimitrijev. Oxford University Press, New York. 2000. ISBN: 0-19513186-X Semiconductor devices appear at the interfaces of science, technology, and electronic engineering. A transistor is regarded as an element by circuit designers, yet it is seen as a complete system by solid-state physicists, technologists, and material scientists. Because of their importance, there are quite a few books on semiconductor devices that focus on either application in circuits, scienti®c fundamentals, or fabrication techniques. Understanding Semiconductor Devices by Sima Dimitrijev is a unique book, linking all the related areas together. The unique approach of the material presentation in this book is described as ``electronics to physics'' approach by the author. It appears that the author's main intention has been to enable electronicengineering students and circuit designers to genuinely grasp the underlying physical principles. However, this approach equally well enables scientists to genuinely grasp the subtleties that make devices more or less suitable for real-world applications. For example, the ®rst chapter of the book is entitled Resistors: Introduction to Semiconductors. It begins with a cross-section of an IC resistor and the concept of sheet resistance, as used to design IC resistors. From the components of the sheet resistance, as well as from the elegantly introduced dierential form of Ohm's law (drift current), it becomes obvious that all the technological parameters are lumped into the conductivity (r). Therefore, the subsequent section is entitled Insight into Conductivity Ingredients: Chemical Bond Model to introduce the concept of free electrons, holes, their mobility, and concentration r qln n qlp p. This book introduces the new concepts as they are needed, providing immediate application of the introduced concepts. Therefore, the section explaining that the doping
determines the carrier concentration (and consequently the sheet resistance) is followed by a section describing how doping is used to make IC resistors. This section not only eortlessly introduces lithography, but also the diusion as a current mechanism independent of the drift (Ohm's law). The ®nal two sections describe carrier mobility in more detail, and introduce the energy-band model as the tool that will be powerfully used throughout the book to elucidate various device phenomena. The title of the second chapter, Capacitors: Reversebiased P±N Junction and MOS Structure, makes quite obvious what structures are used as capacitors in integrated circuits. The need to explain capacitance±voltage characteristics is utilized to introduce the concepts of built-in voltage, depletion, and inversion layers, as well as to demonstrate how Poisson equation is solved to determine the depletion-layer width. The concept of energy barrier at the P±N junction (built-in voltage) is consolidated in the third chapter (Diodes: Forwardbiased P±N Junction and Metal±Semiconductor Contact) by applying it to the case of forward-biased P±N junction and to the case of a barrier achieved in an alternative way (metal±semiconductor contact). The models presented in this chapter, as well as in the whole book, are derived from the introduced principles and directly linked to the pragmatic equations used in circuit simulators (SPICE). The fourth chapter, Basics of Transistor Applications is a unique description of the fundamental functions of a generic transistor in both digital and analog circuits. For scientists, it de®nes the preferred characteristics (ideal transistor) from the circuit perspective. For engineers, it provides natural framework for the introduction of the two most important solid-state implementations of the transistor functions: MOSFET (Chapter 5) and BJT (Chapter 6). Both transistors are covered with balanced descriptions of all the relevant aspects: principles, technology, modeling, and SPICE equations and parameters.
Book reviews
The ®rst six chapters are grouped in Part I: The Fundamentals. Part II: Advanced Topics covers the speci®cs of deep submicron MOSFET, photonic, microwave, and power devices and introduces advanced technologies, device reliability, and quantum mechanics. This is the very ®rst textbook on semiconductor devices to devote a chapter on device reliability issues. The chapter covers the fundamental reliability concepts, reliability screening, reliability measurement, and failure mechanisms (purple plague, electromigration, corrosion, oxide-charge/interface-trap creation, oxide breakdown, activation of parasitic structures, and soft errors). I am sure the readers of Microelectronics Reliability will agree that this is a commendable move, given the growing practical importance of reliability issues for both the integrated-circuit designers and users. An extremely interesting supplement is provided on a CD enclosed with the book: Interactive MATLAB Animations. It is designed to enable a quicker and deeper introduction to and understanding of the underlying theoretical concepts. There is no need to know or learn MATLAB ± you just click to make a selection, and start exploring device characteristics and/or underlying physical phenomena. A particularly powerful animation relates to the MOSFET ± animated 3D view of the conduction energy band visualizes a MOSFET in satu-
143
ration as a waterfall, or ``electron-fall'' (source of moving electrons, the channel region, the ``electron-fall'', and the drain at the bottom). There are also diode/BJT/ MOSFET calculators, where you enter SPICE parameters, and the corresponding I±V and/or C±V characteristics are displayed automatically. Computer Exercises Manual: Device Parameters in SPICE is an additional supplement provided on the CD. It includes 90 pages of exercises, complete solutions, and PSPICE instructions, illustrating the eects and meaning of the SPICE parameters described in the text. Understanding Semiconductor Devices is an excellent textbook, supported by a variety of problems, review questions and exercises. However, it is also an important reference, providing unique SPICE material. Finally, the topic selection and the excellent explanations make it a superb reading for engineers (to consolidate and deepen their understanding of the physical principles) as well as scientists (to gain knowledge of the features that make a device successful in practical and commercial terms). Ninoslav Stojadinovic Faculty of Electronic Engineering, University of Nis, Beogradska 14, 18000 Nis, Yugoslavia Tel.: +381-1852-584; fax: +381-1846-180 E-mail address: [email protected]
0026-2714/01/$ - see front matter Ó 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 6 - 2 7 1 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 0 2 - 5
Book reviews
failure modes, and their key reliability indices as well as deep sub-micron technology challenges. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the increasing need and implementation of the design for reliability methodologies. Application of fundamental physics of failure methods and a good understanding of design and business realities associated with the IC industry are the pathways to the design of better reliability practices. In view of the above discussion, this book will be useful for design and process engineers in manufacturing, as well as for graduate and post-graduate students
for understanding the management of silicon chip reliability. In addition, the book is a stimulus for researchers to ®nd new methods of managing the reliability of semiconductor products. M. Jevtic Institute for Physics, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Zemun, Yugoslavia Tel.: +381-11-3160-260; fax: +381-11-3162-190
0026-2714/01/$ - see front matter Ó 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 6 - 2 7 1 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 3 1 - 6
Understanding Semiconductor Devices; Sima Dimitrijev. Oxford University Press, New York. 2000. ISBN: 0-19513186-X Semiconductor devices appear at the interfaces of science, technology, and electronic engineering. A transistor is regarded as an element by circuit designers, yet it is seen as a complete system by solid-state physicists, technologists, and material scientists. Because of their importance, there are quite a few books on semiconductor devices that focus on either application in circuits, scienti®c fundamentals, or fabrication techniques. Understanding Semiconductor Devices by Sima Dimitrijev is a unique book, linking all the related areas together. The unique approach of the material presentation in this book is described as ``electronics to physics'' approach by the author. It appears that the author's main intention has been to enable electronicengineering students and circuit designers to genuinely grasp the underlying physical principles. However, this approach equally well enables scientists to genuinely grasp the subtleties that make devices more or less suitable for real-world applications. For example, the ®rst chapter of the book is entitled Resistors: Introduction to Semiconductors. It begins with a cross-section of an IC resistor and the concept of sheet resistance, as used to design IC resistors. From the components of the sheet resistance, as well as from the elegantly introduced dierential form of Ohm's law (drift current), it becomes obvious that all the technological parameters are lumped into the conductivity (r). Therefore, the subsequent section is entitled Insight into Conductivity Ingredients: Chemical Bond Model to introduce the concept of free electrons, holes, their mobility, and concentration r qln n qlp p. This book introduces the new concepts as they are needed, providing immediate application of the introduced concepts. Therefore, the section explaining that the doping
determines the carrier concentration (and consequently the sheet resistance) is followed by a section describing how doping is used to make IC resistors. This section not only eortlessly introduces lithography, but also the diusion as a current mechanism independent of the drift (Ohm's law). The ®nal two sections describe carrier mobility in more detail, and introduce the energy-band model as the tool that will be powerfully used throughout the book to elucidate various device phenomena. The title of the second chapter, Capacitors: Reversebiased P±N Junction and MOS Structure, makes quite obvious what structures are used as capacitors in integrated circuits. The need to explain capacitance±voltage characteristics is utilized to introduce the concepts of built-in voltage, depletion, and inversion layers, as well as to demonstrate how Poisson equation is solved to determine the depletion-layer width. The concept of energy barrier at the P±N junction (built-in voltage) is consolidated in the third chapter (Diodes: Forwardbiased P±N Junction and Metal±Semiconductor Contact) by applying it to the case of forward-biased P±N junction and to the case of a barrier achieved in an alternative way (metal±semiconductor contact). The models presented in this chapter, as well as in the whole book, are derived from the introduced principles and directly linked to the pragmatic equations used in circuit simulators (SPICE). The fourth chapter, Basics of Transistor Applications is a unique description of the fundamental functions of a generic transistor in both digital and analog circuits. For scientists, it de®nes the preferred characteristics (ideal transistor) from the circuit perspective. For engineers, it provides natural framework for the introduction of the two most important solid-state implementations of the transistor functions: MOSFET (Chapter 5) and BJT (Chapter 6). Both transistors are covered with balanced descriptions of all the relevant aspects: principles, technology, modeling, and SPICE equations and parameters.
Book reviews
The ®rst six chapters are grouped in Part I: The Fundamentals. Part II: Advanced Topics covers the speci®cs of deep submicron MOSFET, photonic, microwave, and power devices and introduces advanced technologies, device reliability, and quantum mechanics. This is the very ®rst textbook on semiconductor devices to devote a chapter on device reliability issues. The chapter covers the fundamental reliability concepts, reliability screening, reliability measurement, and failure mechanisms (purple plague, electromigration, corrosion, oxide-charge/interface-trap creation, oxide breakdown, activation of parasitic structures, and soft errors). I am sure the readers of Microelectronics Reliability will agree that this is a commendable move, given the growing practical importance of reliability issues for both the integrated-circuit designers and users. An extremely interesting supplement is provided on a CD enclosed with the book: Interactive MATLAB Animations. It is designed to enable a quicker and deeper introduction to and understanding of the underlying theoretical concepts. There is no need to know or learn MATLAB ± you just click to make a selection, and start exploring device characteristics and/or underlying physical phenomena. A particularly powerful animation relates to the MOSFET ± animated 3D view of the conduction energy band visualizes a MOSFET in satu-
143
ration as a waterfall, or ``electron-fall'' (source of moving electrons, the channel region, the ``electron-fall'', and the drain at the bottom). There are also diode/BJT/ MOSFET calculators, where you enter SPICE parameters, and the corresponding I±V and/or C±V characteristics are displayed automatically. Computer Exercises Manual: Device Parameters in SPICE is an additional supplement provided on the CD. It includes 90 pages of exercises, complete solutions, and PSPICE instructions, illustrating the eects and meaning of the SPICE parameters described in the text. Understanding Semiconductor Devices is an excellent textbook, supported by a variety of problems, review questions and exercises. However, it is also an important reference, providing unique SPICE material. Finally, the topic selection and the excellent explanations make it a superb reading for engineers (to consolidate and deepen their understanding of the physical principles) as well as scientists (to gain knowledge of the features that make a device successful in practical and commercial terms). Ninoslav Stojadinovic Faculty of Electronic Engineering, University of Nis, Beogradska 14, 18000 Nis, Yugoslavia Tel.: +381-1852-584; fax: +381-1846-180 E-mail address: [email protected]
0026-2714/01/$ - see front matter Ó 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 6 - 2 7 1 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 0 2 - 5