Buried-guarded layer ion-implanted resistors

Megohm silicon monolithic resistors have been fabricated with sheet resistances up to 120 kΩ/□ using an implanted p-layer resistor which is buried under an implanted n-guard layer. The n-guard layer protects against slice-to-slice variations of the fixed surface charge, and was made using phosphorus doses and energy of 1.5-5 × 10
¹²
/cm
²
and 30 keV. Resistors have been fabricated up to 20 MΩ; sheet resistances were in the range of 7-120 kΩ/□ using boron doses and energies of 1-3 × 10
^:12
/cm
²
and 30-300 keV. The sheet resistance, voltage dependence of resistance, temperature coefficients, junction leakage, and parasitic capacitance have been measured for different implantation parameters. This process has been used to fabricate two matched 8-MΩ resistors for use in a high input impedance differential preamplifier integrated circuit. A match of 2 percent and a magnitude tolerance of ±10 percent has been achieved. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is about 4000 ppm/°C and tracks within 400 ppm/ °C. These resistors are linear up to ∼1 V, about 50 times higher bias voltage than required in the application. The structure and fabrication are compatible with present monolithic silicon integrated circuit processing.