A novel double-metal structure for voltage-programmable links

摘要

A novel metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure has been developed for use in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as a voltage-programmable link (VPL). The present structure relies on a combination of a refractory metal and aluminum as the lower electrode, and aluminum alone as the top electrode. The insulator, prepared by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, comprises a sandwich of nearly stoichiometric silicon dioxide interposed between two layers of silicon-rich silicon nitride. This MIM structure has displayed characteristics desirable for use in the emerging FPGA technology.