Latent ESD failures in Schottky barrier diodes

Author

Anand, Yogi ; Crowe, Dana

Author_Institution

M/A COM Inc., Lowell, MA, USA

fYear

1999

fDate

28-30 Sept. 1999

Firstpage

160

Lastpage

167

Abstract

This paper describes a case study of microwave transceivers that were losing their sensitivity within a few months of operation due to the ESD latent failure of the Schottky barrier diodes. The culprit was a pick-and-place machine used to bin the diodes after the DC and RF characterization tests. It was degrading the diodes by subjecting them to ESD (CDM) pulses. By monitoring the reverse current leakage test (I/sub r/ at 1 V) of the diodes at assembly, DC and RF testing, and the binning operation; we were able to screen out high leakage reverse current diodes prior to use in transceivers. It is recommended that the I/sub r/ test (at 1 V) be used as a new parameter to screen Schottky barrier diodes for transceiver applications.

Keywords

Doppler radar; Schottky diodes; assembling; electronic equipment testing; electrostatic discharge; failure analysis; leakage currents; microwave diodes; microwave receivers; sensitivity; transceivers; 1 V; DC characterization test; DC testing; ESD CDM pulses; ESD latent failure; RF characterization test; RF testing; Schottky barrier diodes; assembly; binning operation; diode degradation; high leakage reverse current diodes; latent ESD failures; microwave Doppler radar; microwave transceivers; pick-and-place machine; reverse current leakage test; sensitivity; transceiver applications; transceivers; Degradation; Detectors; Doppler radar; Electrostatic discharge; Radio frequency; Schottky barriers; Schottky diodes; Semiconductor diodes; Testing; Transceivers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electrical Overstress/Electrostatic Discharge Symposium Proceedings, 1999

Conference_Location

Orlando, FL, USA

Print_ISBN

1-58637-007-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/EOSESD.1999.819002

Filename

819002