A high-performance trench capacitor integrated in a passive integration technology

The requirements for the electrical characteristics of passive on-chip devices become more and more important. The electrical performance of RF circuits is predominantly restricted by the passives. New technologies and new device concepts are necessary to meet the demands. In this work, a trench capacitor developed for RF applications is presented for the first time. This so-called SilCap (silicon capacitor) device features very high capacitance density, extreme low-voltage dependence, excellent temperature stability, good RF performance and a high breakthrough voltage. First, the device function and the technological concept are introduced. The concept is realized without implementing cost-intensive high-k materials. This trench capacitor is integrated in the front end of line of a passive integration technology. The achieved specific capacitance density is compared to a standard planar capacitor. Performance of the SilCap in terms of quality factor and breakthrough voltage is shown. Finally, reliability data of this trench capacitor are presented with special focus on extrinsic and dielectric lifetime.