US 7,351,639 B2
Increasing an electrical resistance of a resistor by oxidation or nitridization
Arne W. Ballantine, Round Lake, N.Y. (US); Daniel C. Edelstein, White Plains, N.Y. (US); and Anthony K. Stamper, Williston, Vt. (US)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Jan. 08, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/753,241.
Application 10/753241 is a division of application No. 09/712391, filed on Nov. 14, 2000, granted, now 6,730,984.
Prior Publication US 2004/0140529 A1, Jul. 22, 2004
Int. Cl. H01L 21/20 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 438—382  [438/384; 438/385; 438/14; 257/E27.047] 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for increasing an electrical resistance of a resistor, comprising the steps of:
providing a predetermined target resistance in terms of a value Rt and a tolerance ΔRt for the electrical resistance of the resistor;
providing a semiconductor structure that includes the resistor;
exposing a fraction F of an exterior surface of a surface layer of the resistor to oxygen-containing particles; and
oxidizing a portion of the surface layer by reacting said portion with said oxygen-containing particles, such that an electrical resistance of the resistor is increased, wherein an exterior surface of said portion consists essentially of the fraction F of the exterior surface of the surface layer, and
testing the resistor during the oxidizing step to determine whether the electrical resistance of the resistor is within Rt±ΔRt,
wherein if during the testing step the electrical resistance of the resistor is determined to not be within Rt±ΔRt then the method further comprises:
iterating such that each iteration of the iterating includes additionally executing the exposing and oxidizing steps and additionally testing the resistor during the oxidizing step to determine whether R2″ is within Rt ±ΔRt, wherein R2″ is a latest value of the electrical resistance of the resistor as determined by said testing; and
ending the iterating if R2″ is within Rt±ΔRt or if (R2″−R1) (Rt−R2″)<0, wherein R1 is a latest value of the determined electrical resistance of the resistor immediately prior to said testing.