Test Chip to Evaluate Measurement Methods for Small Capacitances

Published

March 30, 2009

Author(s)

Joseph J. Kopanski, Muhammad Y. Afridi, Chong Jiang, Curt A. Richter

Abstract

We designed and fabricated a test chip to help us evaluate the performance of new approaches to measurement of small capacitances (femto-Farads to atto-Farads range). The test chip consists of an array of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors, metal-insulator-metal capacitors, and series of systematically varying capacitance structures directly accessible by an atomic force microscope probe. Nominal capacitances of the test devices range from 0.3 fF (10^-15 F) to 1.2 pF (10^-12 F). Measurement of the complete array of capacitances using an automatic probe station produces a 'fingerprint' of capacitance values from which, after correcting for pad and other stray capacitances, the relative accuracy and sensitivity of a capacitance measurement instrument or circuit can be evaluated.

Proceedings Title

Proc., IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Test Structures

Conference Dates

March 30-April 2, 2009

Conference Location

Oxnard, CA

Conference Title

22nd IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Test Structures

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

capacitance measurement, test chip

Citation

Kopanski, J. , Afridi, M. , Jiang, C. and Richter, C. (2009), Test Chip to Evaluate Measurement Methods for Small Capacitances, Proc., IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Test Structures, Oxnard, CA, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=901503 (Accessed April 18, 2024)