• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.131-136
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• 2013

TSV based 3D ICs have been widely developed with new problems at die and IC levels. It is imperative to test at post-bond as well as pre-bond to achieve high reliability and yield. This paper introduces a new testable design technique which not only test microscopic defects at TSV input/output contact at a die but also test interconnect defects at a stacked IC. IEEE 1500 wrapper cells are augmented and through at-speed tests for pre-bond die and post-bond IC, known-good-die and defect free 3D IC can be massively manufactured+.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.12
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• pp.1710-1715
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• 2014

In this paper, we propose a novel on-chip test logic for TSV fault detection in 3-dimensional integrated circuits. The proposed logic called OTT realizes the input signal delay-based TSV test method introduced earlier. OTT only includes one F/F, two MUXs, and some additional logic for signal delay. Thus, it requires small silicon area suitable for TSV testing. Both pre-bond and post-bond TSV tests are able to use OTT for short or open fault as well as small delay fault detection.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.226-235
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• 2016

The yield of 3D stacked IC manufacturing improves with the pre-bond integrity testing of through silicon vias (TSVs). In this paper, an efficient pre-bond test method is presented based on IEEE std. 1500, which can precisely diagnose any happening of TSV defects. The IEEE std. 1500 wrapper cells are augmented for the proposed method. The pre-bond TSV test can be performed by adjusting the driving strength of TSV drivers and the test clock frequency. The experimental results show the advantages of the proposed approach.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2016

Cu 배선폭 미세화 기술은 반도체 디바이스의 성능 향상을 위한 핵심 기술이다. 현재 배선 기술은 lithography, deposition, planarization등 종합적인 공정 기술의 발전에 따라 10x nm scale까지 감소하였다. 하지만 지속적인 feature size 감소를 위하여 요구되는 높은 공정 기술 및 비용과 배선폭 미세화로 인한 재료의 물리적 한계로 인하여 배선폭 미세화를 통한 성능의 향상에는 한계가 있다. 배선폭 미세화를 통한 2차원적인 집적도 향상과는 별개로 chip들의 3차원 적층을 통하여 반도체 디바이스의 성능 향상이 가능하다. 칩들의 3차원 적층을 위해서는 별도의 3차원 배선 기술이 요구되는데, TSV(through-Si-via)방식은 Si기판을 관통하는 via를 통하여 chip간의 전기신호 교환이 최단거리에서 이루어지는 가장 진보된 형태의 3차원 배선 기술이다. Si 기판에 $50{\mu}m$이상 깊이의 via 및 seed layer를 형성 한 후 습식전해증착법을 이용하여 Cu 배선이 이루어지는데, via 내부 Cu ion 공급 한계로 인하여 일반적인 공정으로는 void와 같은 defect가 형성되어 배선 신뢰성에 문제를 발생시킨다. 이를 해결하기 위해 각종 유기 첨가제가 사용되는데, suppressor를 사용하여 Si 기판 상층부와 via 측면벽의 Cu 증착을 억제하고, accelerator를 사용하여 via 바닥면의 Cu 성장속도를 증가시켜 bottom-up TSV filling을 유도하는 방식이 일반적이다. 이론적으로, Bottom-up TSV filling은 sample 전체에서 Cu 성장을 억제하는 suppressor가 via bottom의 강한 potential로 인하여 국부적 탈착되고 via bottom에서만 Cu가 증착되어 되어 이루어지므로, accelerator가 없이도 void-free TSV filling이 가능하다. Accelerator가 Suppressor를 치환하여 오히려 bottom-up TSV filling을 방해한다는 보고도 있었다. 본 연구에서는 유기 첨가제의 치환으로 인한 TSV filling performance 저하를 방지하고, 유기 첨가제 조성을 단순화하여 용액 관리가 용이하도록 하기 위하여 suppressor만을 이용한 TSV filling 연구를 진행하였다. 먼저, suppressor의 흡착, 탈착 특성을 이해하기 위한 연구가 진행되었고, 이를 바탕으로 suppressor만을 이용한 bottom-up Cu TSV filling이 진행되었다. 최종적으로 $60{\mu}m$ 깊이의 TSV를 1000초 내에 void-free filling하였다.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.14-20
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• 2011

The advantage of using lasers for through silicon via (TSV) drilling is that they allow higher flexibility during manufacturing because vacuums, lithography, and masks are not required; furthermore, the lasers can be applied to metal and dielectric layers other than silicon. However, conventional nanosecond lasers have disadvantages including that they can cause heat affection around the target area. In contrast, the use of a picosecond laser enables the precise generation of TSVs with a smaller heat affected zone. In this study, a comparison of the thermal and crystallographic defect around laser-drilled holes when using a picosecond laser beam with varing a fluence and repetition rate was conducted. Notably, the higher fluence and repetition rate picosecond laser process increased the experimentally recast layer, surface debris, and dislocation around the hole better than the high fluence and repetition rate. These findings suggest that even the picosecond laser has a heat accumulation effect under high fluence and short pulse interval conditions. To eliminate these defects under the high speed process, the CDE (chemical downstream etching) process was employed and it can prove the possibility to applicate to the TSV industry.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.140-140
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• 2018

The 3D interconnect technologies have been appeared, as the density of Integrated Circuit (IC) devices increases. Through Silicon Via (TSV) process is an important technology in the 3D interconnect technologies. And the process is used to form a vertically electrical connection through silicon dies. This TSV process has some advantages that short length of interconnection, high interconnection density, low electrical resistance, and low power consumption. Because of these advantages, TSVs could improve the device performance higher. The fabrication process of TSV has several steps such as TSV etching, insulator deposition, seed layer deposition, metallization, planarization, and assembly. Among them, TSV metallization (i.e. TSV filling) was core process in the fabrication process of TSV because TSV metallization determines the performance and reliability of the TSV interconnect. TSVs were commonly filled with metals by using the simple electrochemical deposition method. However, since the aspect ratio of TSVs was become a higher, it was easy to occur voids and copper filling of TSVs became more difficult. Using some additives like an accelerator, suppressor and leveler for the void-free filling of TSVs, deposition rate of bottom could be fast whereas deposition of side walls could be inhibited. The suppressor was adsorbed surface of via easily because of its higher molecular weight than the accelerator. However, for high aspect ratio TSV fillers, the growth of the top of via can be accelerated because the suppressor is replaced by an accelerator. The substitution of the accelerator and the suppressor caused the side wall growth and defect generation. The suppressor was used as Single additive electrodeposition of TSV to overcome the constraints. At the electrochemical deposition of high aspect ratio of TSVs, the suppressor as single additive could effectively suppress the growth of the top surface and the void-free bottom-up filling became possible. Generally, copper was used to fill TSVs since its low resistivity could reduce the RC delay of the interconnection. However, because of the large Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (CTE) mismatch between silicon and copper, stress was induced to the silicon around the TSVs at the annealing process. The Keep Out Zone (KOZ), the stressed area in the silicon, could affect carrier mobility and could cause degradation of the device performance. Cobalt can be used as an alternative material because the CTE of cobalt was lower than that of copper. Therefore, using cobalt could reduce KOZ and improve device performance. In this study, high-aspect ratio TSVs were filled with cobalt using the electrochemical deposition. And the filling performance was enhanced by using the suppressor as single additive. Electrochemical analysis explains the effect of suppressor in the cobalt filling bath and the effect of filling behavior at condition such as current type was investigated.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.667-673
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• 2010

Copper filling into TSV (through-silicon-via) and reduction of the filling time for the three dimensional chip stacking were investigated in this study. A Si wafer with straight vias - $30\;{\mu}m$ in diameter and $60\;{\mu}m$ in depth with $200\;{\mu}m$ pitch - where the vias were drilled by DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching) process, was prepared as a substrate. $SiO_2$, Ti and Au layers were coated as functional layers on the via wall. In order to reduce the time required complete the Cu filling into the TSV, the PPR (periodic pulse reverse) wave current was applied to the cathode of a Si chip during electroplating, and the PR (pulse-reverse) wave current was also applied for a comparison. The experimental results showed 100% filling rate into the TSV in one hour was achieved by the PPR electroplating process. At the interface between the Cu filling and Ti/ Au functional layers, no defect, such as a void, was found. Meanwhile, the electroplating by the PR current showed maximum 43% filling ratio into the TSV in an hour. The applied PPR wave form was confirmed to be effective to fill the TSV in a short time.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.23-29
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• 2010

This paper presents a method for constructing a memory system using defective memory chips comprising faulty storage blocks. The three-dimensional memory system introduced here employs a die-stacked structure of faulty memory chips. Signals lines passing through the through-silicon-vias (TSVs) connect chips in the defect tolerant structure. Defective chips are classified into several groups each group comprising defective chips having faulty blocks at the same location. A defect tolerant memory system is constructed using chips from different groups. Defect-free storage blocks from spare chips replace faulty blocks using additional routing circuitry. The number of spare chips for defect tolerance is $s={\ulcorner}(k{\times}n)/(m-k){\urcorner}$ to make a system defect tolerant for (n+s) chips with k faulty blocks among m independently addressable blocks.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.49-53
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• 2011

High-speed Cu filling into a through-silicon-via (TSV) and simplification of bumping process by electroplating for three dimensional stacking of Si dice were investigated. The TSV was prepared on a Si wafer by deep reactive ion etching, and $SiO_2$, Ti and Au layers were coated as functional layers on the via wall. In order to increase the filling rate of Cu into the via, a periodic-pulse-reverse wave current was applied to the Si chip during electroplating. In the bumping process, Sn-3.5Ag bumping was performed on the Cu plugs without lithography process. After electroplating, the cross sections of the vias and appearance of the bumps were observed by using a field emission scanning electron microscope. As a result, voids in the Cu-plugs were produced by via blocking around via opening and at the middle of the via when the vias were plated for 60 min at -9.66 $mA/cm^2$ and -7.71 $mA/cm^2$, respectively. The Cu plug with a void or a defect led to the production of imperfect Sn-Ag bump which was formed on the Cu-plug.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.55-59
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• 2012

Defects such as voids or seams are frequently found in TSV via filling process. To achieve defect-free copper via filling, organic additives such as suppressor, accelerator and leveler were necessary in a copper plating bath. However, by-products stemming from the breakdown of these organic additives reduce the lifetime of the devices and plating solutions. In this research, the effects of levelers on copper electrodeposition were investigated without suppressor and accelerator to lower the concentration of additives. Threelevelers(janus green B, methylene violet, diazine black) were investigated to study the effects of levelers on copper deposition. Electrochemical behaviors of these levelers were different in terms of deposition rate. Filling performances were analyzed by cross sectional images and its characteristics were different with variations of levelers.