Electro-static discharge protection analysis and design optimization of interlayer Cu interconnection in InGaZnO thin film transistor backplane

Abstract

The InGaZnO thin film transistor (IGZO TFT) backplane combined with Cu interconnection has nearly an order of magnitude lower in the ability to withstand voltage than that of traditional a-Si TFT backplane on the production line. The breakdown voltage of Mo/Cu interconnection between data line and gate line is only about 60% of that of traditional a-Si TFT backplane. The electrostatic discharge (ESD) breakdown of Mo/Cu:SiN_<i>x</i>/SiO₂:Mo/Cu structure has become an important factor affecting the normal display of IGZO TFT ultra high definition (UHD) panel. We find that the anti-ESD damage ability of IGZO TFT devices needs matching with the anti-ESD damage ability of interlayer Cu interconnection in order to achieve a high-robustness IGZO TFT backplane. The position of ESD damage in IGZO TFT backplane is commonly in the climbing place where the data line crosses the scanning line. In this paper, a Cu diffusion model is proposed to explain the mechanism for the ESD failure of interlayer Cu interconnection. The Cu metal in gate line diffuses into SiN_<i>x</i>/SiO₂ gate insulator, and Cu metal at the corner of data line, where the date line crosses the gate line, diffuses into SiO₂ film on the date line. The selection conditions of three kinds of protection architectures for ESD protection circuits around Cu interconnection, i.e. R-type, R-half-type, and Diode-type protection architectures, are proposed. On the basis of process optimization such as Cu metal film forming and Cu metal interface treatment, an ESD protection method for the Cu interconnection periphery of IGZO TFT backplane with high robustness is proposed. For the stable production process of IGZO TFT, combined with the design window of ESD protection circuit, the peripheral ESD protection circuit of Cu interconnect is designed with diode-type protection circuit on the IGZO TFT backplane of large-sized UHD and QUHD panel, which effectively improves the effect of interlayer Cu interconnection of IGZO TFT backplane on ESD damage. Through the production verification, it is proved that the metal diffusion of Cu interconnection on IGZO TFT backplane is the fundamental reason for reducing the anti-ESD damage ability of Mo/Cu:SiN_<i>x</i>/SiO₂:Mo/Cu structure. The rationality of the proposed ESD damage model for interlayer Cu interconnection is verified, which provides a theoretical basis for subsequent IGZO TFT backplane design with high robustness.