Microelectromechanical Metal-Air-Insulator-Semiconductor (MEM-MAIS) Diode: A Novel Hybrid Device for ESD Protection

In this paper we propose and experimentally validate the concept of Microelectromechanical Metal-Air-Insulator-Semiconductor Diode (MEM-MAIS) as a novel hybrid device for ESD protection fabricated on SOI. The proposed ESD switch has unique figures of merit inherited from the MEM part: the in-series air gap guaranties record low leakage current (~10fA/?m) practically independent on temperature up to 100°C in off-state and a parasitic capacitance of few fF. The scalable electro-mechanical design of the actuation voltage makes the new proposed switch suitable for voltage domains ranging from few volts to tens of volts. A Fowler-Nordheim conduction is demonstrated for the on-state of the MEM-MAIS diode. Basic ESD HBM and MM experiments with MEM-MAIS diodes are reported and the versatility of the new device demonstrated.