December 2, 2024

The Impact on ESD Risk of AI on Silicon Fabrication

In this article:

The document discusses the challenges posed by the increasing number of die stacks in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in the context of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection at the die-to-die (D2D) interfaces.
One of the most notable advancements in silicon fabrication and manufacturing is the development of high bandwidth memory (HBM) stacks.
This should not be confused with the human body model for electrostatic discharge (ESD) model.
These memory die stacks, which are located near the processor, have been increasing in number.
This proximity and increased die stacking enhance memory density and the speed and efficiency of data transfer, significantly improving the performance of electronic devices that utilize AI hardware algorithms.
It highlights the need to balance the amount of ESD protection on the interface without interfering with the speed, silicon area, and design at the interface, as the D2D interconnects are becoming smaller and denser.
The document also mentions the potential for cumulative ESD damage due to repetitive ESD events, which can lead to degradation in oxides and reduced performance of metal interconnects.
The very-fast transmission line pulse (vfTLP) is presented as a tool to evaluate key elements for on-chip ESD design and observe the impact of cumulative stresses.

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