On-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is becoming more challenging for integrated circuits (ICs) made in advanced technology nodes. The ESD-induced design overhead, including ESD parasitic effects and layout area, inherent to the traditional in-Silicon PN-junction-based ESD protection devices, rapidly becomes unbearable to high-performance and complex ICs. A disruptive above-Si mechanical ESD switch device, made in CMOS backend using a graphene nano-electromechanical-system (gNEMS) structure, was recently devised and demonstrated using poly-crystalline graphene films. This paper reports design, fabrication and comprehensive characterization of single-crystalline gNEMS ESD switch devices. Measurement using transmission line pulse (TLP) and very fast transmission line pulse (VFTLP) ESD testing reveals superior ESD protection capability of gNEMS devices made in single-crystalline graphene over its poly-crystalline counterparts, achieving a record-high ESD current handling capability of It2 ~ 1.19 ×1010 A/cm2 under TLP zapping and It2 ~ 6.09×109 A/cm2 under VFTLP stressing. The ESD robustness enhancement related to single-crystalline graphene material property is discussed.

中文翻译：

---

用于未来 IC 的单晶石墨烯 gNEMS ESD 开关的设计、制造和表征


对于采用先进技术节点制造的集成电路 (IC) 来说，片上静电放电 (ESD) 保护变得越来越具有挑战性。 ESD 引起的设计开销（包括 ESD 寄生效应和布局面积）是传统硅内 PN 结 ESD 保护器件所固有的，很快就变得高性能和复杂 IC 无法承受。最近使用多晶石墨烯薄膜设计并演示了一种颠覆性的硅上机械 ESD 开关器件，该器件采用石墨烯纳米机电系统 (gNEMS) 结构在 CMOS 后端制造。本文报告了单晶 gNEMS ESD 开关器件的设计、制造和综合表征。使用传输线脉冲 (TLP) 和超快传输线脉冲 (VFTLP) ESD 测试进行测量表明，单晶石墨烯制成的 gNEMS 器件的 ESD 保护能力优于多晶同类器件，实现了创纪录的高 ESD 电流处理能力TLP 电击下 It2 ~ 1.19 ×1010 A/cm2，VFTLP 应力下 It2 ~ 6.09×109 A/cm2。讨论了与单晶石墨烯材料特性相关的 ESD 鲁棒性增强。