Metal semiconductor (MES) TSVs in 3D ICs: Electrical modeling and design

TSVs are are separated with a thin dielectric liner from the lossy Silicon substrate, hence they behave as metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. They support slow-wave and dielectric quasi-TEM modes, which are characteristic for MIS transmission lines. This paper presents the electrical design and modeling of a new TSV type, called metal semiconductor (MES) TSV. In MES TSV, there is no dielectric liner between the metal and Silicon. We investigate the advantage of MES TSV, compared to standard MIS TSV, in terms of its capability to carry high frequency signals and reduce cross talk. We propose to use MES TSVs especially for ground TSVs.