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D/A converter Digital-to-Analog converter. A circuit that converts digital input signals to analog output signals.
D/B see die bonding.
D/I abbreviation for develop inspect. See linewidth, PR.
Daisy chained in a cluster tool, connected so that the removal of one component causes the interruption of the circuit to another component.
Damage 1: of a single-crystal silicon specimen, a defect of the crystal lattice in the form of irreversible deformation that results from mechanical surface treatments such as sawing, lapping, grinding, sandblasting, and shot peening at room temperature without subsequent heat treatments. 2: any yield or reliability detractors other than those related to design, process specification violations, or particles.
Damage depth (Tz) the maximum thickness of the damage region as revealed by preferential etch that removes silicon in the region of the deformation.
Damascene an integrated circuit process by which a metal conductor pattern is embedded in a dielectric film on the silicon substrate. The result is a planar interconnection layer. The creation of a damascene structure most often involves chemical mechanical polishing of a nonplanar surface resulting from multiple process steps. A damascene trench is a filled trench.
Dambar on leadframes, a feature for plastic molded packages that blocks (dams) the flow of the plastic compound to the external lead areas of the leadframe during the molding cycle. Dambars electrically short the leads together and must be removed (trimmed) before electrical testing of the device can be performed.
Data 1: information, including programs, program instructions, and the information used or produced by a computer. 2: any representation to which meaning is or might be assigned (for example, characters).
Data acquisition The process by which events in the real world are translated to machine-readable signals. The term usually refers to automated systems in which sensors are attached to machinery.
Data conversion the changing of data from one format to a different but equivalent format to allow its use in a different computer-aided design application.
Data dictionary 1: a collection of names of all data items used in a software system, together with relevant properties of those items; for example, length of data item, representation, etc. 2: a resource that assists management, database administrators, systems analysts, and application programmers in planning, controlling, and evaluating the collection, storage, and use of data. 3: a set of definitions of data flows, data elements, files, databases, and processes referred to in a leveled data flow diagram set. Also see repository.
Data integration 1:the degree to which tools can share data through a framework. The degree of integration is dependent on the granularity of data that a framework supports. 2: The means by which design data is transferred between computer-aided design applications.
Data management the organization and control of design data (files or records) to assure proper security, integrity, and availability of the data.
Data model one of several standard models used to describe data organization. Data models usually describe data as either rigid hierarchies or networks. The relational data model, based on viewing data as tables, is an example.
Data-driven pertaining to a mode of executing a program in a data flow system in which an instruction is executed when all its input values are present. Contrast menu-driven.
Datum plane (M) of a leadframe, the line that forms the top formed width.
Datum point in wafer transport systems, the left rear corner of wafer transport equipment; formed by the intersection of the planes that define the left side, back side, and wafer plane.
DBa see adjusted decibel.
DC parametrics The operating characteristics of an integrated circuit or discrete device that can be measured with the device in a static condition. See parametric tests.
DC test A sequence of direct current (DC) measurements performed on integrated circuit pads to determine probe contact, leakage currents, voltage levels on input and output, power supply currents, etc.
DC-DC converter An electrical circuit that changes direct current (DC) from one voltage level to another. Frequently found in battery-operated systems.
DDD Double Diffused Drain. See diffusion and drain.
DDM Defect Diagnostic Matrix. See defect.
Dead time in mass flow controller testing, the interval of time between the set point step change and the start of the resulting observable response.
Dedicated purge gas cylinder a cylinder of gas dedicated to the task of purging undesirable gas from piping manifolds.
Deep level impurity a chemical element that, when introduced into a semiconductor, has an energy level (or levels) that lies on the midrange of the forbidden energy gap, between the energy levels of the dopant impurity species.
Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) masks the master pattern or reticle used in DUV projection lithography (generally, wavelengths between 248 nm and 193 nm). The mask contains the pattern that is to be printed on the wafer, usually magnified at 4X.
Defect for silicon crystals, a chemical or structural irregularity that degrades the ideal silicon crystal structure or the thin films built over the silicon wafer. 2: a pit, tear, groove, inclusion, grain boundary, or other surface feature that is either characteristic of the material or a result of its processing and that is not a result of the sample preparation. Also called anomaly.
Defect density the number of imperfections per unit area, where imperfections are specified by type and dimension. Also see defect.
Defect level the number of die in parts-per-million that are shipped to customers and that are defective even though the test program declares them to be good.
Defect, photomask any flaw or imperfection in the opaque coating or functional pattern that will reproduce itself in a resist film to such a degree that it is pernicious to the proper functioning of the microelectronic device being fabricated.
Deflashing the process used to remove excess molding compound, flash, or resin bleed from the body of a molded plastic package and the leads. The excess compound might be present as a normal characteristic of the mold leadframe/interface or due to imperfections in the mold, such as wear. Flash may be removed by mechanical punches or medial deflashing.
Defocus in the measurement of photolithographic instruments, the distance, perpendicular to the image plane, between the processed image plane and the plane of best focus.
Degating the process of removing the gate from a plastic molded device. This operation may be performed during mechanical deflashing with a trimming punch or by using media deflashing. Also see gate feature.
Degree of hazard the inherent ability of a chemical to do harm due to its toxicity, corrosiveness, flammability, or other characteristic, and the potential for that chemical to contact persons or the environment.
Dehydration bake wafer bake (typically 150-2505C) in a nitrogen atmosphere to remove absorbed moisture prior to application of resist.
Deionization (DI) an ion-exchange process in which all charged species or ionizable organic and inorganic salts are removed from a solution.
Delamination in a cofired ceramic package, chip carrier, dual inline package, pin grid array , etc., the separation of one ceramic layer from another. Also see package.
Delay fault a fault that has the effect of causing a signal to appear late in arriving at a destination.
Deliquescent the property of a substance that inclines the substance to absorb moisture from the atmosphere until it dissolves. An example of substances having this property would be water-soluble salts. Also see hydrophilic.
Density 1: a measurement of how closely the circuits on a die are spaced. 2: weight per unit volume (w/v), expressed as grams per liter for gases at 05C, one atmosphere. Density is expressed as grams per milliliter for liquids and solids.
Density transition the difference in photographic density between points of maximum and minimum density in the transition region between an exposed area and an unexposed area. Also see photomask.
Depletion implant a process wherein silicon is bombarded by ions to establish a normally "on" transistor in the silicon directly under the gate electrode. A normally "on" transistor requires no voltage applied to the gate electrode for current to flow.
Depletion layer in a semiconductor, a region in which the charge-carrier charge density is not sufficient to neutralize the net fixed-charge density of donors and acceptors. Also called barrier layer, blocking layer, and space-charge layer.
Depletion width in a semiconductor, the width of the region near a metal-semiconductor contact in which the charge-carrier density is insufficient to neutralize the fixed-charge density of donors and acceptors.
Depletion-mode FET A FET designed so that the channel is in the "on" state with no voltage applied to the gate. See also channel, enhancement-mode FET, FET, gate and source.
Deposition (dep) an operation in which a film is placed on a wafer without a chemical reaction with the underlying layer.
Depth Of Focus (DOF) a plus or minus deviation from a defined reference plane wherein the required resolution for photolithography is still achievable. Also called depth of field.
Depth of focus map in the measurement of photolithographic instruments, a plot, for each position in the image field, of the greatest defocus in the positive direction and the greatest defocus in the negative direction in which the processed image is sufficiently resolved for practical use.
DESC Defense Electronic Supply Center. DESC, located in Dayton, Ohio, is the agency responsible for procurement of electronic supplies for the U.S. military. It certifies that semiconductor vendors are in compliance with military parts specifics, such as MIL-M-38510. DESC also stocks piece parts for spares. Pronounced "deh-see".
Descum a plasma operation after develop that ensures full removal of resist from uncovered areas.
Desiccator a tightly closed container charged with a suitable desiccant (commonly calcium chloride or sulfate) that allows an atmosphere of low humidity to be maintained.
Design drawing see composite drawing.
Design environment a collection of specific tools, hardware, operating systems, methods, assumptions, capabilities, and procedures used in a design process.
Design flow management the ability to define a design process that reflects the flow of applications that must be correctly traversed before a design can be released to manufacturing.
Design flow rate in flow limiting devices, the maximum flow rate exiting a gas cylinder valve when the valve is in a fully open position. All flow rates are given in standard liters per minute (slpm).
Design For Test (DFT) design of logic circuits to facilitate electrical testing.
Design methodology a comprehensive set of specific engineering rules, methods, and procedures that are used to design and implement integrated circuits, subsystems, or systems.
Design metrics see metrics, design.
Design Of Experiments (DOE) the initial planning of engineering experiments in order to minimize cost, reduce experimental errors, and ensure statistical validity of the results.
Design pressure of a system or subsystem, the pressure at the most severe condition of coincident internal or external pressure and temperature expected during normal service. The maximum pressure expected in any portion of a system or subsystem is typically determined by the maximum adjustable setting of the last pressure regulator that supplies it, the supply pressure to the regulator, or the actuation pressure of any relief device incorporated.
Design process the flow between computer-aided design (CAD) applications from a user perspective. In today's systems, this flow tends to be sequential with each application processing the entire design model, and, when complete, the changed design model is then processed by the next (sequential) application within the design process. Concurrence in the design process allows for multiple applications (for example, a floor-planner and a timing analysis application) to operate on the design within the same active session. Incremental processing is the art of performing design analysis only on the changed portion of the design (thus the processing time is proportional to the size of the design change and not the entire design).
Design representation a collection of data in specific formats used to completely characterize a design at a specific level of abstraction.
Design reuse applying elements of an existing design to the solution of a new problem.
Design rule check a check that a specific integrated circuit design complies with the constraints imposed by the specific technology to be used for its manufacture.
Design rules rules that state the allowable dimensions of features used in the design and layout of integrated circuits; rules unique to a specific process technology (including limits for feature size, feature separation, layer-to-layer overlap, and layer-to-layer feature separation).
Design space the set of possible designs and design parameters that meet a specific product requirement. Exploring design space means evaluating the various design options possible with a given technology and optimizing with respect to specific constraints such as power or cost.
Design tool Software tools used to complete the design of integrated circuit (or other) functions. The collection of all tools required to complete the design of an integrated circuit.
Design tools Software tools used to complete the design of integrated circuit (or other) functions. The collection of all tools required to complete the design of an integrated circuit.
Develop Inspect (D/I) see linewidth, PR.
Developer 1: equipment that uses liquids to remove exposed positive resist from wafers or substrates. 2: the liquid used to remove exposed positive resist.
Device a specific kind of electronic component (such as an MOS transistor, resistor, diode, or capacitor) on a die. The diode and transistor are referred to as active devices; the capacitor and resistor, as passive devices.
Device design The operation in which a designer tailors the transistors exactly to their function in the circuit.
Device ID in message transfer, a 15-bit field used in the header or message header to identify a piece of equipment communicating with a host computer. NOTE-The value in this field can be in the range of 0 through 32767.
Device pattern for reclaimed wafers only, the circuit pattern manufactured on a silicon wafer by a semiconductor manufacturer.
Device series of masks see masks, device series of.
Devitrification in flat panel display substrates, a crystalline glass inclusion, similar to stone.
Dew point the temperature at which liquid first condenses when vapor is cooled.
DFM Design For Manufacturability utilizes statistical information on manufacturing process characteristics to ensure that the circuit design falls within the parameters of normal manufacturing variances for each process element. This allows the designer to center the design for maximum performance and enhances yields, thereby reducing cost.
DFR Design For Reliability.
DFT see design for test.
DI see deionizationor dielectric isolation.
DI wafer a dielectrically isolated wafer consisting of polysilicon, oxide, and single crystal silicon regions.
Diameter of a semiconductor wafer, the linear dimension across the surface of a circular wafer that contains the wafer center and excludes flats or other peripheral fiduciary geometries.
Diamond anvil a tool used to compress soft polymers and powders into thin films between two infrared transparent diamond windows.
Diaphragm valve a packless valve that incorporates a statically sealed diaphragm with which to isolate the controlled medium from the atmosphere.
Diborane (B2H6) a colorless, volatile, toxic, and pyrophoric gas often used as a source of boron for the doping of silicon.
Dice Semiconductor chips. Plural of die.
Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) a colorless liquid, almost nonflammable and nonexplosive. Also called methylene chloride.
Dichlorosilane (H2SiCl2) (DCS) a flammable, corrosive, colorless liquid that hydrolyzes (reacts) in the presence of moisture. It oxidizes readily and rapidly to release hydrogen chloride, and is easily ignited in the presence of air. Dichlorosilane is used in the growth of epitaxial silicon and polycrystalline silicon and in the chemical vapor deposition of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.
Dicing Cutting up the wafer into individual chips. This is usually done with a circular saw called a dicing saw.
DICMOS Dielectric Isolated Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. DICMOS ICs have proved to be an excellent solution for applications requiring very low leakage current or over-voltage protection.
Die a small piece of silicon wafer, bounded by adjacent scribe lines in the horizontal and vertical directions, that contains the complete device being manufactured. Also called chip and microchip. Obsolete: bar.
Die attach area the nominal area designated for die attaching to the package or leadframe. Contrast effective die attach area and die attach pad.
Die attach pad the nominal area designated for die attaching to the package or leadframe. Die attach pad is usually applied to leadframes. The term die attach area is usually applied to ceramic packages. Also see die.
Die attach pad the nominal area designated for die attaching to the package or leadframe. Die attach pad is usually applied to leadframes. The term die attach area is usually applied to ceramic packages. Also see die.
Die attach pad the nominal area designated for die attaching to the package or leadframe. Die attach pad is usually applied to leadframes. The term die attach area is usually applied to ceramic packages. Also see die.
Die Bonding (D/B) an assembly technique that bonds the back side of an integrated circuit die to a substrate, header, or leadframe.
Die pad support see tie bars.
Die sort see wafer sort.
Dielectric 1: a nonconductive material; an insulator. Examples are silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. 2: a material applied to the surface of a ceramic or preformed plastic package to provide functions such as electrical insulation, passivation of underlying metallization, and limitations to solder flow.
Dielectric constant that property which determines the electrostatic energy stored per unit volume for unit potential gradient. The numerical value is usually given relative to a vacuum. (Copyright 1993 IEEE. All rights reserved.)
Dielectric Isolation (DI) a nonconductive barrier layer grown or deposited between two adjacent regions on a die to prevent electrical contact between the regions. Also see isolation.
Dielectric thin films insulating films under 10 mm in thickness that are grown either thermally or through a chemical vapor deposition process; their dielectric properties are used to enable proper functioning of semiconductor devices.
Dielectric void the absence of screen-printed ceramic or organic insulating compounds from a designated area.
Differential pressure in mass flow controllers, the difference in absolute pressure between two points of measurement in a system. NOTE-As it applies to a mass flow controller, differential pressure is usually the measured difference in pressures between the gas inlet and outlet fittings of the mass flow controller.
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of molding compounds, a technique in which the difference in energy input to a substance and a reference material is measured as a function of temperature while the substance and the reference material are subjected to a controlled temperature program. The method is used to determine the suitability of plastic molding compounds for encapsulating semiconductor devices by measuring, for example, the heat of fusion and the heat of crystallization. Also called calorimetry.
Diffused layer a region of opposite conductivity type formed near the surface of a semiconductor crystal as a result of the introduction of impurities into the silicon crystal by means of solid state diffusion.
Diffusion a high-temperature process in which desired chemicals (dopants) on a wafer are redistributed within the silicon to form a device component.
Diffusion bubbler a quartz vessel on a diffusion furnace that allows a gas (typically nitrogen) to be channeled through a liquid before it enters a furnace.
Diffusion furnace an oven that uses heat and gas to form layers. For example, a diffusion furnace facilitates the reaction of gases with silicon wafers at temperatures typically greater than 8005C to form silicon dioxide or to diffuse previously deposited dopants into the wafer.
Diffusion leak see permeation leak.
Diffusion pump a vacuum pump that uses a stream of oil vapor to expel gases from the volume being evacuated and to create a high vacuum.
Diffusion tube a cylindrical quartz or silicon carbide tube used in a diffusion furnace to contain the carrier and wafers.
Diffusion under film see buried layer.
Digital a signal used to transmit information that has only discrete levels (usually two) of some parameter (usually voltage). Contrast analog.
Digital integrated circuit A class of integrated circuits that process digital information (expressed in binary numbers). The processing operations are arithmetic (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) or logical (in which the circuit senses certain patterns of input binary information and indicates the presence or absence of those patterns by appropriate output binary signals).
Digital signal processing See DSP.
Dilute in equipment exhaust systems, to reduce the concentration of undesirable elements to acceptable levels. Dilution is a function of flow volume.
Dimensional matters in flat panel display substrates, grinding out or shaping substrate edges by lapping or grinding.
Dimple on a semiconductor wafer, a shallow depression in a wafer surface with a concave, spheroidal shape and gently sloping sides. NOTE-Dimples are macroscopic features that are visible to the unaided eye under proper lighting conditions.
Diode A two-terminal semiconductor (rectifying) device that exhibits a non-linear current-voltage characteristic. The function of a diode is to allow current in one direction and to block current in the opposite direction. The terminals of a diode are called the anode and cathode. There are two kinds of semiconductor diodes: a P-N junction diode, which forms an electrical barrier at the interface between N- and P-type semiconductor layers, and a Schottky diode, whose barrier is formed between metal and semiconductor regions. See rectifier.
DIP see dual inline package.
Direct alignment in the surface roughness measurement of flat panel display glass substrates, the mechanical positioning of alignment marks on a flat panel display substrate directly to the reference points on the reticle or reticles. Contrast with indirect alignment.
Direct write a method of pattern transfer in which the elements comprising the pattern are formed serially rather than simultaneously through a mask; for example, employing an electron beam to form an integrated circuit process pattern by scanning the beam across the resist layer while turning it on and off.
Dirt on semiconductor wafers, surface contaminant that cannot be removed by preinspection solvent cleaning.
Disabled in SECS communication, describes one of the two major states (enabled and disabled). In the disabled state, SECS communication with a host computer is nonexistent. In the event that the operator switches from enabled to disabled, all communications must cease immediately, outgoing message queues must be flushed, and all outstanding transactions must be terminated. Also see communicating.
Discoloration in packaging, the change in color of any plated metallization, gold, silver, aluminum, etc., as detected by the unaided eye after the application of heat to the metallization. The metallization plating may be over base metal, another plated layer, or on refractory metal.
Disconnect shutoff a check valve that is opened by installation of the outlet connection.
Discrete 1: represented by a finite number of distinct data elements, such as bits or characters. Contrast analog. 2: pertaining to a device or component that has a single function, such as a relay, resistor, capacitor, diode, or transistor. Contrast integrated circuit.
Discrete device A class of electronic components, such as power MOSFETs, bipolar power transistors, surgectors, MOVs, optoelectronic devices, rectifiers, power hybrid circuits, intelligent power discretes, and transistors. Typically, these devices contain one active element, such as a transistor or diode. However, hybrids, optoelectronic devices, and intelligent discretes may contain more than one active element. In contrast, integrated circuits (ICs) typically contain hundreds, thousands, or even millions of active elements in a single die.
Disilane (Si2H6) a colorless gas that is pyrophoric (capable of igniting spontaneously when exposed to air), highly flammable, and noncorrosive. Disilane is used in the deposition of thin polysilicon films for solar (photovoltaic) cells.
Dislocation a line imperfection in a crystal that either forms the boundary between slipped and nonslipped areas of a crystal or that is characterized by a closure failure of the Burger's circuit. Also called line defect.
Distinct bores in determining surface roughness of gas distribution system components, the total number of individual bores per test component, including inline bores of different sizes and orientations and each leg of a shaped component or fitting.
Distribution a representation of the frequency of occurrence of a characteristic; a way of describing the output of a common-cause system of variation in which individual values are not predictable, but the outcomes as a group form a pattern described in terms of location, spread, and shape.
DLM Double-Level Metal. An IC metal interconnect process that employs two vertical levels of metal, separated by an insulating layer. DLM technology allows a designer to use a smaller die size (for a given level of design functionality) than does SLM. Compare SLM.
DLTS Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy.
DLY Design Limited Yield. See yield.
DOE see design of experiments.
DOF see depth of focus.
Donor 1: in a semiconductor, an impurity or imperfection in a semiconductor that donates electrons to the conduction band, leading to electron conduction. 2: an element with five electrons in its outer shell used to make n-type semiconductor areas on material.
Dopant in silicon technology, a chemical element incorporated in trace amounts in a semiconductor crystal or epitaxial layer to establish its conductivity type and resistivity.
Dopant density in an uncompensated extrinsic semiconductor, the number of dopant impurity atoms per unit volume, usually given in atoms/cm3, although the SI unit is atoms/m3. Symbols: ND for donor impurities and NA for acceptor impurities. (The "D" and "A" parts of the abbreviation are written with subscript capital letters.)
Dopant profile The way dopant concentration varies with depth from the surface of the wafer. The speed at which a transistor operates (and indeed whether the transistor works at all) is very much affected by the dopant profile.
Doping the addition of impurities to a semiconductor to control the electrical resistivity.
Dosimeter an instrument used to detect and measure accumulated radiation exposure.
Dot in the dot matrix code marking of silicon wafers, a localized region with a reflectance that differs from that of the surrounding surface.
Dot matrix in the dot matrix code marking of silicon wafers, a two-dimensional square array of square cells arranged in contiguous rows and columns.
Dot misalignment in the dot matrix code marking of silicon wafers, the distance between the physical center point of a dot and the cell center point.
Downtime (equipment) see equipment downtime.
D-pack An epoxy power discrete package for power MOSFETs, IGBTs, and bipolar transistors. The D-pack is available in a straight leaded version (TO-251) or a surface mountable version (TO-252).
Drain one of the three major parts of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor transistor.
DRAM A type of semiconductor memory - dynamic random access memory. DRAMs account for a significant percent of the total semiconductor market (between 15 and 30%) and so DRAM manufacturers are big equipment buyers. DRAM manufacturing is concentrated in Japan and Korea.
DRC Design Rule Check. DRCs measure spacing, overlap, and sizes of all masking dimensions on the layout. This is necessary to ensure that the circuit dimensions will conform to the capabilities of the fabrication process.
Drift in scanning tunneling microscopy or atomic force microscopy, movement of the sample surface with respect to a microscope tip or cantilever due to a lack of thermal equilibrium.
Drive-in the application of heat to diffuse or distribute a chemical dopant into a wafer.
Driver a software program that allows a computer to control a peripheral with dissimilar electrical and mechanical requirements and to exchange data, including required formatting.
Droop see flow curve.
Dry etch see dry plasma etch.
Dry plasma etch processes that use a mixture of physical and chemical etching that employ reactive ionized gas to remove unprotected portions of a layer of material. Also called dry etch and plasma etch. Contrast with reactive ion etch.
DSC differential scanning calorimetry.
DSP Digital-Signal Processing. Digital circuits designed to address a broad class of problems in signal reception and analysis that have traditionally been solved using analog components. DSP is rapidly replacing analog signal processing functions where requirements for stability over time and temperature variations are critical. DSP is used to enhance, analyze, filter, modulate, or otherwise manipulate standard real-world functions, such as images, sounds, radar pulses, and other such signals by analyzing and transforming wave-forms (e.g., transmitting data over phone lines via modem.
Dual in-line package See DIP.
Dual inline package (DIP) an integrated circuit package that has two rows of leads extended at right angles from the base and a standard spacing between the leads and rows of leads; usually plastic (PDIP) or ceramic (cerdip).
Dust 1: a discrete particle of material on a wafer or reticle, usually removable by the solvent cleaning method. 2: in flat panel display substrates, a foreign particle that contaminates the glass surface.
DUV masks see deep ultraviolet (DUV) masks.
DYM Defect and Yield Management. See yield.
Dynamic port in automated material movement, a port with associated mechanisms capable of assisting with the physical movement of a transfer object or of interfering with the transfer of an object during the transfer. Such mechanisms may include doors, elevators, and robot arms. A transfer partner using a dynamic port for the transfer may be active or passive, as required. NOTE-The concepts of dynamic and static are associated with a port rather than equipment, as equipment may have both dynamic and static ports. Contrast with static port.
Dynamic test in particle contribution testing, a test performed to determine particle contribution as a result of valve actuation.
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