STMicroelectronics Inc. (ST, Geneva, Switzerland) unveiled a new breakthrough technology that increases junction capacitance density in thin-film passive integration. The new technology extends the capabilities of ST’s Integrated Passive and Active Devices IPAD™ technology by allowing capacitors with densities of more than 30 nF/mm ² to be integrated, which represents a 50-fold improvement over existing competitive technologies that employ materials such as oxides or nitrides of silicon or tantalum.
The new technology is based on a class of materials called PZT Perovskites, which are compounds that contain lead, zirconium, titanium, and oxygen, with many different variations possible according to the ratio of zirconium and titanium. The materials offer advantages because of their high dielectric constant, which, at approximately 900 depending on the particular material, is over 200 times greater than that of silicon dioxide. Equally important, they can be integrated cost-effectively into the high-volume IPAD manufacturing flow.
To date, ST has used the technology for a number of customer-specific devices, and it will shortly introduce standard devices for the open market, when it will also release further technical details.
