access icon free Flexible CMOS chip converted by a novel chip transformation process

In this Letter, the authors report a flexible CMOS chip converted by a novel chip transformation process. To realise a truly flexible CMOS chip, a two-step etching process was employed in the transformation process: (i) vapour etching to remove inter-dielectric layers followed by polymer encapsulation and (ii) plasma etching to remove the substrate of the chip. The I–V results measured after the chip transformation process show a voltage variance of <0.8% compared to the rigid chip. The bending test also revealed very small changes (0.6%) under strain conditions. Their results offer a viable route to use the foundry-fabricated CMOS chip for flexible chips; thus, a high-performance flexible chip can be realised. This technology will enable us to utilise various foundry-processed chips for future flexible applications such as health and environment monitoring, advanced mobile communication systems, and wearable electronics via a simple post-transformation process.

Inspec keywords: sputter etching; CMOS integrated circuits; flexible electronics; polymers; encapsulation

Other keywords: wearable electronics; polymer encapsulation; interdielectric layer removal; vapour etching; chip transformation process; advanced mobile communication systems; rigid chip; plasma etching; foundry-fabricated CMOS chip; foundry-processed chips; flexible CMOS chip conversion; post-transformation process; two-step etching process

Subjects: Surface treatment (semiconductor technology); Product packaging; CMOS integrated circuits

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http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/el.2020.2235
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