Electrical characterization of dielectrics (oxide, nitride, oxy-nitride) for use in MIM capacitors for mixed signal applications

Electrical characterization of the MIM (metal-insulator-metal) capacitor for RF circuits used in mixed signal devices is presented in this paper. Characterization and evaluation of Nitride, Oxide or Oxynitride as the dielectric materials is also presented. MIM module structure is a six-mask process with three levels of metallization. Capacitance as a function of dielectric film thickness for various dielectric materials and alloying effects on the silicon nitride MIM capacitor linearity are presented. Hysteresis characterization and modeling is used to improve analog circuit performance.