Silicon controlled rectifier with stress-enhanced adjustable trigger voltage

US8586423B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Renata Camillo-Castillo · South Burlington, US
• Erik M. Dahlstrom · Santa Clara, US
• Robert J. Gauthier, Jr. · South Burlington, US
• Ephrem G. Gebreselasie · South Burlington, US
• Richard A. Phelps · Colchester, US
• Yun Shi · South Burlington, US
• Andreas D. Stricker · South Burlington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 24, 2011
• Grant date: Nov 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Dec 29, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F30/36
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Device structures, fabrication methods, operating methods, and design structures for a silicon controlled rectifier. The method includes applying a mechanical stress to a region of a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR. The device and design structures include a SCR with an anode, a cathode, a first region, and a second region of opposite conductivity type to the first region. The first and second regions of the SCR are disposed in a current-carrying path between the anode and cathode of the SCR. A layer is positioned on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate relative to the first region and configured to cause a mechanical stress in the first region of the SCR at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR.