Semiconductor device and method for detecting damaging of a semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618561-B2
Application number	US-201414197564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A micro-electro-mechanical device includes a movable structure. The movable structure includes a test structure changing an electrical characteristic, if the movable structure is damaged. Further, a method for detecting damaging of a micro-electro-mechanical device includes detecting a change of an electrical characteristic of the electrical test structure of the movable structure. Further, the method includes indicating a deviation of the electrical characteristic from a predefined tolerable range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro-electro-mechanical device comprising:
a movable structure, wherein the movable structure comprises a test structure changing an electrical characteristic, if the movable structure is damaged, and wherein the movable structure comprises a pn-junction between a first lateral doping region of the movable structure and a second lateral doping region of the movable structure.

2. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable structure comprises an electrical conductive layer representing at least a part of the test structure of the movable structure arranged over a micro-electro-mechanical element of the movable structure and electrically isolated from the micro-electro-mechanical element.

3. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 2 , wherein a defect detection circuit is connected to the micro-electro-mechanical element and the electrical conductive layer.

4. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 3 , wherein the defect detection circuit detects an increase of the leakage current or a decrease of a breakthrough voltage between the electrical conductive layer and the micro-electro-mechanical element.

5. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical conductive layer is isolated from the micro-electro-mechanical element by an oxide.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 , wherein a defect detection circuit is connected to the first lateral doping region and the second lateral doping region.

7. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the defect detection circuit is configured to detect an increase of the leakage current or a decrease of a breakthrough voltage between the first lateral doping region and the second lateral doping region.

8. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable structure comprises a shallow trench isolation serpentine structure.

9. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 8 , wherein the movable structure comprises a shallow trench isolation serpentine structures laterally separating two electrical conductive comb structures of the test structure.

10. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable structure comprises a dielectric isolating layer sandwiched between an upper membrane layer and a lower membrane layer.

11. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 10 , wherein a defect detection circuit is connected to the upper membrane layer and the lower membrane layer.

12. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 11 , wherein the defect detection circuit is configured to detect an increase of the leakage current or a decrease of a breakthrough voltage between the upper membrane layer and the lower membrane layer.

13. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , comprising a defect detection circuit connected to the movable structure, wherein the defect detection circuit is configured to detect a change of the electrical characteristic of the test structure independent from a sensing circuit detecting a main function of the movable structure.

14. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the test structure comprises an electrically conductive structure electrically insulated from a membrane layer of the membrane structure,
wherein the electrically conductive structure is a layer reaching throughout more than 50% of the whole membrane layer, a comb structure or a serpentine structure.

15. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the micro-electro-mechanical device comprising a cavity arranged between at least a part of a substrate and a membrane structure representing the movable structure,
wherein the membrane structure comprises the test structure changing an electrical characteristic, if the membrane structure is damaged.

16. The micro-electro-mechanical device according to claim 1 , comprising a sensing circuit configured to sense a distortion of the membrane structure.

17. A pressure sensor device comprising a micro-electro-mechanical device comprising a movable structure, wherein the movable structure comprises a test structure changing an electrical characteristic, if the movable structure is damaged, and wherein the movable structure comprises a shallow trench isolation serpentine structure.

18. A method for detecting damaging of a micro-electro-mechanical device, the micro-electro-mechanical device comprising a movable structure, wherein the movable structure comprises a test structure changing an electrical characteristic, and wherein the movable structure comprises a dielectric isolating layer sandwiched between an upper membrane layer and a lower membrane layer, the method comprising:
detecting a change of an electrical characteristic of the electrical test structure of the movable structure; and
indicating a deviation of the electrical characteristic from a predefined tolerable range.

19. A micro-electro-mechanical device comprising:
a movable structure, wherein the movable structure comprises a test structure changing an electrical characteristic, if the movable structure is damaged,
wherein the movable structure comprises an electrical conductive layer representing at least a part of the test structure of the movable structure arranged over a micro-electro-mechanical element of the movable structure and electrically isolated from the micro-electro-mechanical element,
wherein the electrical conductive layer is isolated from the micro-electro-mechanical element by an oxide manufacturable simultaneously with a gate oxide of a transistor of the micro-electro-mechanical device, and
wherein a defect detection circuit is connected to the first lateral doping region and the second lateral doping region.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Meinhold Dirk

Classifications

• H10P74/277

  Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e.g. circuits in tested chips or circuits in testing wafers · CPC title

• H10P74/27

  Structural arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B81B2201/0264

  Pressure sensors · CPC title

• G01L27/007 Primary

  Malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect · CPC title

• G01R31/2644 Primary

  Adaptations of individual semiconductor devices to facilitate the testing thereof · CPC title