Manufacturing and Characterization of Thin-Film Tantalum Pentoxide Integrated Capacitors

This paper describes the manufacturing of thin-film tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) capacitors in the value range of 10-1000 pF on 200 mm silicon wafers using standard wafer-level packaging (WLP) technologies. The cost-effective fabrication of anodic Ta2O5 at room temperature yields highly reproducible and uniform dielectric films with minimal defect density. Testing is conducted to assess capacity density, current leakage, bias voltage dependence and yield. Potential diffusion effects or surface and interface failures as well as the growth of the anodic tantalum pentoxide film are precisely analysed with advanced analytical techniques including Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM).