Verification structures for transmission line pulse measurements

Abstract--Test structures intended for performance verification of transmission line pulse (TLP) systems have been designed and tested. They consist of simple resistors in either copper or silicide clad polysilicon. The copper structures proved unsuitable due to excess heating and melting of any reasonable geometry. The silicide clad polysilicon proved more successful. A simple model of resistive heating accounts for observed nonlinearity in the structures under high current stress. The availability of a verification structure on wafer ensures the proper performance of the full measurement system, including contact to the wafer and the pad structure, ensuring valid TLP measurements. Index Terms--Electrostatic discharge, pulse measurements.