Microelectronic Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Vialess non-spiral on-chip stacked transformer on high-resistivity silicon for improved RF power transfer efficiency","authors":"Najeh Zeidi ,&nbsp;Farès Tounsi ,&nbsp;Jean-Pierre Raskin ,&nbsp;Denis Flandre","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>On-chip transformers are fundamental components in integrated circuits, serving key functions such as impedance matching, signal coupling, voltage conversion, and galvanic isolation in high-frequency and mixed-signal systems. However, their performance is often limited by factors like substrate losses, interwinding capacitance, and series resistance, which reduce both bandwidth and efficiency. This paper presents a novel non-spiral, vialess stacked on-chip transformer featuring a compact 620 μm × 620 μm footprint, utilizing only two metal layers to achieve enhanced high-frequency power transfer efficiency. Key performance metrics, such as quality factor (<em>Q</em>), coupling coefficient (<em>K</em>_<em>im</em>), self-resonant frequency, and maximum power transfer efficiency, are compared against those of interleaved and interwinding transformers, all under identical geometric constraints, using both experimental measurements and electromagnetic simulations. All devices were fabricated on a high-resistivity silicon substrate with a trap-rich layer (HR-Si + TR), providing a quasi-insulated platform that significantly reduces substrate losses. Despite the interwinding transformer achieving the highest coupling coefficient (<em>K</em>_<em>im</em> = 0.96) and the interleaved transformer showing superior <em>Q</em>-factors (<em>Q</em>_<em>1</em> = <em>Q</em>_<em>2</em> = 5.7), the proposed non-spiral stacked design demonstrates the larger peak power transfer efficiency of 0.72 at 2.5 GHz, outperforming the interleaved (0.60 at 2.66 GHz) and interwinding (0.45 at 0.90 GHz) configurations. Moreover, the design maintains this performance superiority even on standard low-resistivity silicon, confirming its robustness and suitability for passive RF integration in CMOS-compatible processes. This efficiency enhancement stems from an exceptionally low mutual resistive coupling, achieved through strong vertical magnetic linkage and reduced series resistance in parallel conductor paths.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 112424"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Frequency-selective and high-performance wireless power transmission system for a multifunctional capsule endoscope: A feasibility study” [Microelectronic Engineering 301 (2026) 112387]","authors":"Phi Cuong Ly ,&nbsp;Ngoc Thuy Thi Nguyen ,&nbsp;Tongil Park ,&nbsp;Hana Choi ,&nbsp;Doyeon Bang ,&nbsp;Jong-Oh Park ,&nbsp;Byungjeon Kang ,&nbsp;Kim Tien Nguyen ,&nbsp;Jayoung Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112401","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112401"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reliable fabrication of nanoscale Cr patterns with dry lift-off process for hard mask applications in microelectronics","authors":"Huikang Liang ,&nbsp;Zhiwen Shu ,&nbsp;Yuting Jiang ,&nbsp;Man Liu ,&nbsp;Quan Wang ,&nbsp;Lei Chen ,&nbsp;YueQiang Hu ,&nbsp;Ming Ji ,&nbsp;Huigao Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fabrication of high-resolution and high-dense Cr masks is critical for precise pattern transfer in reactive etching processes. Lift-off based on electron-beam lithography is a commonly used and simple method for fabricating Cr nanostructures below 100-nm scale. However, conventional wet lift-off method suffers from issues such as fragment residues and low yield. In this work, we propose a dry lift-off method leveraging the weak adhesion between sputtered materials and PMMA resist to achieve high-yield (∼100 %) fabrication of high-resolution (line width&lt;100 nm) and high-dense (gap&lt;100 nm) Cr nanostructures that wet lift-off can hardly achieve. We demonstrate the application capability of our method by fabricating silicon infrared metalens using Cr nanostructures as etching hard masks, showing its potential for nanodevices fabrication with high-resolution and high-dense requirements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112396"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ti and Ni-based BEOL CMOS-compatible P+-InGaAs ohmic contacts for the future of wireless communications","authors":"A. Lombrez ,&nbsp;H. Boutry ,&nbsp;A. Divay ,&nbsp;L. Colas ,&nbsp;N. Coudurier ,&nbsp;T. Baron","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We report the electrical results of scaled Ti and Ni-based P⁺-InGaAs (:C) ohmic contacts integrated with a CMOS-compatible flow on 200 mm Si substrates. To evaluate contact performance as well as thermal stability, Transfer Length Method (TLM) measurements were first conducted after rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The targeted temperatures are relevant to the typical Si-CMOS Back End Of Line (BEOL) thermal budgets. The issue of acceptor passivation, resulting from hydrogen exposure of the InGaAs layer during CMOS-compatible process, is then emphasized. The etching of the contact cavities was identified as being the root cause. Finally, a previously developed TLM-based numerical extraction method was employed to achieve a more precise assessment of the resistivity parameters. Specific contact resistivity values as low as 5 × 10⁻⁷ and 3 × 10⁻⁶ Ω*cm² were respectively extracted from scaled Ti-based and Ni-based contacts. The 5 × 10⁻⁷ Ω*cm² value approaches the required magnitude of 10⁻⁸ Ω*cm² for the base contact in a Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) in order to reach THz performance, which is crucial for future 6G/sub-millimeter Wave (sub-mmW) applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112385"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144711861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards silicon carbide monolithic active pixel radiation sensors","authors":"Sebastian Onder,&nbsp;Jürgen Burin,&nbsp;Philipp Gaggl,&nbsp;Andreas Gsponer,&nbsp;Thomas Bergauer,&nbsp;Simon Waid","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Future collider experiments demand a new generation of tracking detectors with excellent spatial and temporal resolution, along with enhanced radiation hardness. Monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) based on silicon CMOS technology are proven to provide fine spatial and temporal resolution while being cost-effective. In terms of radiation hardness, however, wide band-gap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) promise superior performance. In this work, we make a first step towards MAPS development based on SiC-CMOS technology. We used the Fraunhofer IISB 2<!--> <!-->µm SiC-CMOS process to design the first stage in the electronic read-out chain of a MAPS, a charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA). Circuit simulations show that an equivalent noise charge of <span><math><mrow><mn>95</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>e</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> to <span><math><mrow><mn>205</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>e</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> is attainable for an input capacitance in the range of <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>5</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>p</mi><mi>F</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> to <span><math><mrow><mn>4</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>5</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>p</mi><mi>F</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> at room temperature. The attained bandwidth of <span><math><mrow><mn>31</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>k</mi><mi>H</mi><mi>z</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> was primarily limited by the large size of the MOSFETs in the used SiC-CMOS technology. We believe that a further increase in integration density could make SiC-MAPS a compelling alternative to its silicon-based counterparts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112386"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frequency-selective and high-performance wireless power transmission system for a multifunctional capsule endoscope: A feasibility study","authors":"Phi Cuong Ly ,&nbsp;Ngoc Thuy Thi Nguyen ,&nbsp;Tongil Park ,&nbsp;Hana Choi ,&nbsp;Doyeon Bang ,&nbsp;Jong-Oh Park ,&nbsp;Byungjeon Kang ,&nbsp;Kim Tien Nguyen ,&nbsp;Jayoung Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to limitations in receiving power and controllability, wireless power transmission remains an open challenge for implantable devices and the active multifunctional capsule endoscope. This work introduces a novel high-performance resonant wireless power transmission system featuring selective operating frequency control. The system is comprised of a controllable transmitting unit and multiple receiving units. The transmitting unit is capable of generating powerful alternative magnetic field at multiple desired frequencies, while each of the receiving units is designed to resonate with the transmission signal at a desired frequency. This enabled selective wireless power delivery in our region of interest across a frequency range from 70 to 100 kHz, with maximum power transfer efficiency of 35 % measured at frequency of 100 kHz and distance 9 cm from transmission coil. Furthermore, this system demonstrated successful independent control of the temperature by heating coils for the morphology changes of each soft actuator, enabling the locomotion of the soft capsule endoscope.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112387"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Organic memcapacitor-based neural network for diverse signal recognition","authors":"Fei-Le Xue ,&nbsp;Li-Xing Li ,&nbsp;Zhong-Da Zhang ,&nbsp;Xu Gao ,&nbsp;Jian-Long Xu ,&nbsp;Ya-Nan Zhong ,&nbsp;Sui-Dong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112395","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Memcapacitors emerge as a promising electronic element for low-power artificial neural networks, whereas research on their applications remains limited due to the challenge of using capacitance-based state variables. We report the probing into transient responses of an organic memcapacitor and how the transient features endow the device with the function of multiply-and-accumulate operation. The neural network based on the organic memcapacitor array is capable of processing spatial and temporal signal recognition, as well demonstrated by its excellent performance in fashion image recognition and arrhythmia detection, achieving the classification accuracies of 87 % and 99 %, respectively. This work initiates a potential approach to adopting dynamic characteristics, rather than steady-state behaviors, of memcapacitors for implementing neuromorphic computing tasks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112395"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144863635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introduction to the special issue on selected work from the 31st International Symposium on the physical and failure analysis of integrated circuits (IPFA 2024)","authors":"Samuel Chef ,&nbsp;Nagarajan Raghavan","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112398","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112398"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital filter on FPGA for subcellular resolution electrophysiology using a high-density CMOS-based microelectrode array","authors":"Maximilian Ell,&nbsp;Ahmet Büyükakyüz,&nbsp;Paul Werginz,&nbsp;Günther Zeck","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>CMOS-based microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are used to record the electrical activity in neural tissues down to micron-scale cellular structures at high spatiotemporal resolution. Continuous recording of extracellular voltages would, however generate large datasets with very sparse spatial and temporal information. Towards an efficient strategy, we propose here a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) which filters the continuous CMOS MEA data stream sampled at 28 kHz and extracts electrophysiological relevant information.</div><div>In a first step, sensors of interest are selected based on the electrical label-free identification of those sensors covered by the neural tissue via adhesion noise spectroscopy. The adhesion noise-based electrical imaging is validated against light microscopic images. The FPGA finite impulse response (FIR)-filtered data is validated against software-based post-processed data.</div><div>In a second step, we implement a spike-triggered average (STA) algorithm to identify and visualize electrical activity at subcellular resolution in retinal neurons, which allows for the tracking of axonal signal propagation within the neural tissue.</div><div>This label-free, non-invasive method enables the localization of sensors of interest for electrophysiological recordings and the extraction of neuronal signals. It represents a significant advancement in neuroscience tools, which facilitates the study of neuronal network dynamics at unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112397"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144932174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turnaround in the temperature dependence of RTN in 3D nand arrays entering the cryogenic regime","authors":"David G. Refaldi ,&nbsp;Gerardo Malavena ,&nbsp;Luca Colombo ,&nbsp;Luca Chiavarone ,&nbsp;Aurelio G. Mauri ,&nbsp;Alessandro S. Spinelli ,&nbsp;Christian Monzio Compagnoni","doi":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mee.2025.112394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this letter, we report clear experimental evidence of the existence of a turnaround in the temperature dependence of RTN in 3D <span>nand</span> Flash memories, showing up when entering the cryogenic regime. The origin of this phenomenology is traced back to the change of the dominant transport mechanism through the grain boundaries of the polysilicon channel of the memory cells, from thermionic emission to quantum-mechanical tunneling. This change decreases the impact of the charging/discharging of microscopic defects at the grain boundaries on cell current, making RTN in the cryogenic regime much more bearable than what expected from the extrapolation of room temperature data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18557,"journal":{"name":"Microelectronic Engineering","volume":"301 ","pages":"Article 112394"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144831399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}