• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.240-248
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• 2009

Moore's law has driven silicon technology scale down aggressively, and it results in significant increase of leakage current on nano-meter scale CMOS. Especially, in mobile devices, leakage current has been one of designers' main concerns, and thus many studies have introduced low power methodologies. However, there are few studies to minimize implementation cost in the mixed use of the methodologies to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, we introduce industrial applications of low power design methodologies for the decrease of leakage current. We focus on the design cost reduction of power gating and reverse body bias when used together. Also, we present voltage scale as an alternative to reverse body bias. To sustain gate leakage current, we discuss the adoption of high-$\kappa$ metal gate, which cuts gate leakage current by a factor of 10 in 32 nm CMOS technology. A 45 nm mobile SoC is shown as the case study of the mixed use of low power methodologies.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2016

Temperature dependent reverse-bias current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in Cu Schottky contacts to oxygen plasma treated n-InP were investigated. For untreated sample, current transport mechanisms at low and high temperatures were explained by thermionic emission (TE) and TE combined with barrier lowering, respectively. For plasma treated sample, experimental I-V data were explained by TE or TE combined with barrier lowering models at low and high temperatures. However, the current transport was explained by a thermionic field emission (TFE) model at intermediate temperatures. From X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, phosphorus vacancies (VP) were suggested to be generated after oxygen plasma treatment. V_P possibly involves defects contributing to the current transport at intermediate temperatures. Therefore, minimizing the generation of these defects after oxygen plasma treatment is required to reduce the reverse-bias leakage current.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.60 no.12
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• pp.2265-2269
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• 2011

1 kV high-voltage GaN Schottky diode is realized using GaN-on-Si template by oxidizing Ni-Schottky contact. The Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis revealed the formation of $NiO_x$ at the top of Schottky contact. The Schottky contact was changed to from Ni/Au to Ni/Ni-Au alloy/Au/$NiO_x$ by oxidation. Ni diffusion into AlGaN improves the Schottky interface and the trap-assisted tunneling current. In addition, the reverse leakage current and the isolation-leakage current are efficiently suppressed by oxidation. The isolation-leakage current was reduced about 3 orders of magnitudes. The reverse leakage current was also decreased from 2.44 A/$cm^2$ to 8.90 mA/$cm^2$ under -100 V-biased condition. The formed group-III oxides ($AlO_x$ and $GaO_x$) during the oxidation is thought to suppress the surface leakage current by passivating surface dangling bonds, N-vacancies and process damages.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.938-943
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• 2007

In this paper, we show that, in case of piezoelectric micropower generator, just replacing Schottky diodes in the bridge rectifier with ultra-low reverse leakage current diodes improves the mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency by more than 100%. Experimental and PSPICE simulation results show that, due to the ultra-low leakage current, the charging speed of the circuit employing PAD1 is higher than that of the circuit employing Schottky diodes and the saturation voltage of the circuit employing PAD1 is also higher. This study suggests that , when the internal impedance of source is very large (a few tens of $M{\Omega}$) such that maximum charging current is a few microamperes or less, in order to realize literally the energy scavenging system, ultra-low reverse leakage current diodes should be used for efficient energy conversion. Since low-level vibration is ubiquitous in the environment ranging from human movement to large infrastructures and the mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency is much more critical for use of these vibrations, we believe that the improvement in the efficiency using ultra-low leakage diodes, as found in this work, will widen greatly the application of piezoelectric micropower generator.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2019

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were analyzed to study the effects of carrier leakage on the luminescence properties at room temperature. The electrical leakage and PL properties were compared for LEDs showing leakages at forward bias and an LED with an intentional leakage path formed by connecting a parallel resistance of various values. The leakages at the forward bias, which could be observed from the current-voltage characteristics, resulted in an increase in the excitation laser power density for the maximum PL efficiency (ratio of PL intensity to excitation power) as well as a reduction in the PL intensity. The effect of carrier leakages on PL properties was similar to the change in PL properties owing to a reduction of the photovoltage by a reverse current since the direction of the carrier movement under photoexcitation is identical to that of the reverse current. Valid relations between PL properties and electrical properties were observed as the PL properties deteriorated with an increase in the carrier leakage. The results imply that the PL properties of LED chips can be an indicator of the electrical properties of LEDs.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.495-502
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• 2014

Fast recovery diodes (FRDs) were developed using the $p^{{+}{+}}/n^-/n^{{+}{+}}$ epitaxial layers grown by low temperature epitaxy technology. We investigated the effect of electrostatic discharge (ESD) stresses on their electrical and switching properties using current-voltage (I-V) and reverse recovery time analyses. The FRDs presented a high breakdown voltage, >450 V, and a low reverse leakage current, < $10^{-9}$ A. From the temperature dependence of thermal activation energy, the reverse leakage current was dominated by thermal generation-recombination and diffusion, respectively, at low and high temperature regions. By virtue of the abrupt junction and the Pt drive-in for the controlling of carrier lifetime, the soft reverse recovery behavior could be obtained along with a well-controlled reverse recovery time of 21.12 ns. The FRDs exhibited excellent ESD robustness with negligible degradations in the I-V and the reverse recovery characteristics up to ${\pm}5.5$ kV of HBM and ${\pm}3.5$ kV of IEC61000-4-2 shocks. Likewise, transmission line pulse (TLP) analysis reveals that the FRDs can handle the maximum peak pulse current, $I_{pp,max}$, up to 30 A in the forward mode and down to - 24 A in the reverse mode. The robust ESD property can improve the long term reliability of various power applications such as automobile and switching mode power supply.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.244-251
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• 2016

In this paper, we investigate the electrical characteristics of two trench-gate-type super-barrier rectifiers (TSBRs) under different p-body implantation conditions (low and high). Also, design considerations for the TSBRs are discussed in this paper. The TSBRs' electrical properties depend strongly on their respective p-body implantation conditions. In the case of the TSBR with a low p-body implantation condition, it exhibits MOSFET-like properties, such as a low forward voltage ($V_F$) drop, high reverse leakage current, and a low peak reverse recovery current owing to a majority carrier operation. However, in the case of the TSBR with a high p-body implantation condition, it exhibits pn junction diode.like properties, such as a high $V_F$, low reverse leakage current, and high peak reverse recovery current owing to a minority carrier operation. As a result, the TSBR with a low p-body implantation condition is capable of operating as a MOSFET, and the TSBR with a high p-body implantation condition is capable of operating as either a pn junction diode or a MOSFET, but not both at the same time.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.25-34
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• 2002

In this paper, silicidation induced Schottky contact area was obtained using the current voltage(I-V) characteristics of shallow cobalt silicided p+-n and n+-p junctions. In reverse bias region, Poole-Frenkel barrier lowering influenced predominantly the reverse leakage current, masking thereby the effect of Schottky contact formation. However, Schottky contact was conclusively shown to be the root cause of the modified I-V behavior of n+-p junction in the forward bias region. The increase of leakage current in silicided n+-p diodes is consistent with the formation of Schottky contact via cobalt slicide penetrating into the p-substrate or near to the junction area and generating trap sites. The increase of reverse leakage current is proven to be attributed to the penetration of silicide into depletion region in case of the perimeter intensive n+-p junction. In case of the area intensive n+-p junction, the silicide penetrated near to the depletion region. There is no formation of Schottky contact in case of the p+-n junction where no increase in the leakage current is monitored. The Schottky contact amounting to less than 0.01% of the total junction was extracted by simultaneous characterization of forward and reverse characteristics of silicided n+-p diode.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2000.07b
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• pp.1327-1329
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• 2000

The thyristor among the power-semi-conductor elements, which has large current capacity and high voltage, is used widely nowadays. When the thyristor was being used to the long time, this element may be able to arise the system trip caused by changing the characteristic and dropping the performance. Therefore, it would be necessary to analyze the characteristic of element to maintain the stable operation of the system. In oder to analyze this characteristic, it would be need to test forward direction, reverse direction and leakage current by supplying the half-sine wave voltage. Among these testing, transient current condition is generated from the testing of leakage current. This transient current may be the main factor of the error in the precise measurement of leakage current. Therefore, this paper analyzes the relationship between supply voltage and transient current in measuring leakage current of the SCR, and then suggests the condition and cause of transient current as appearing the leakage current in the testing the leakage current.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2004.08c
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• pp.460-462
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• 2004

The control of the data retention time is a main issue for realizing future high density dynamic random access memory. There are several leakage current mechanisms in which the stored data disappears. The mechanisms of data disappear is as follow, 1 )Junction leakage current between the junction, 2) Junction leakage current from the capacitor node contact, 3)Sub-threshold leakage current if the transfer transistor is affected by gate etch damage etc. In this paper we showed the plasma edge damage effect to find out data retention time effectiveness. First we measured the transistor characteristics of forward and reverse bias. And junction leakage characteristics are measured with/without plasma damage by HP4145. Finally, we showed the comparison TRET with etch damage, damage_cure_RTP and hydrogen_treatment. As a result, hydrogen_treatment is superior than any other method in a curing plasma etch damage side.