Floating gate EEPROM as EOS indicators during wafer-level GMR processing

Author

Granstrom, Eric ; Cermak, Richard ; Tesarek, Penny ; Tabat, Ned

Author_Institution

Seagate Technol., Bloomington, MN, USA

Volume

24

Issue

2

fYear

2001

fDate

4/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

86

Lastpage

89

Abstract

Potentially damaging charging currents and voltages in wafer-level giant magnetoresistance (GMR) plasma processing tools have been measured using floating gate EEPROM (FG-EEPROM) monitor wafers. Although FG-EEPROM monitors have been used as semiconductor process monitors, this report demonstrates their use in electrostatic discharge (ESD)-sensitive GMR head production. Use of FG-EEPROM monitors allows quantification of plasma-induced EOS voltages and currents, and can be used in optimizing process tool EOS performance, as is demonstrated in a case study on an ion mill

Keywords

EPROM; electrostatic discharge; giant magnetoresistance; ion beam applications; magnetic heads; magnetoresistive devices; process monitoring; EOS indicators; ESD-sensitive head production; GMR head; charging currents; floating gate EEPROM; ion mill; monitor wafers; plasma processing tools; plasma-induced EOS voltages; process tool; semiconductor process monitors; wafer-level GMR processing; wafer-level giant magnetoresistance; Current measurement; EPROM; Earth Observing System; Electrostatic discharge; Electrostatic measurements; Giant magnetoresistance; Monitoring; Plasma materials processing; Plasma measurements; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electronics Packaging Manufacturing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1521-334X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/6104.930958

Filename

930958