JP2013535832A - Compensation for stress-induced resistance variation - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for compensating for stress-induced variation in resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, the method comprising a semiconductor device preparation step of providing a semiconductor device having a semiconductor resistance element and a reference component, wherein The component has a metal reference resistance and a semiconductor reference resistance, the semiconductor device preparation step, a stress-induced change in the resistance value of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or at least one quantity functionally related thereto Measuring a stress-induced change in the semiconductor device and compensating a stress-induced variation in resistance of the semiconductor resistance element using the compensation parameter.

Description

  The present invention compensates for a stress-induced variation in resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, and compensates for a stress-induced variation in resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element (particularly, but not limited to, an RC oscillator). Concerning related methods.

  Semiconductor devices such as silicon chips can be under stress during use or as a result of a manufacturing process. For example, packaging of a silicon chip generates stress inside, and it is difficult to predict both the magnitude and direction of the stress. Stress is determined by the nature of the package, lead frame, curing material, curing temperature and many other factors. This stress generates strain of the silicon die, and the stress change can change the resistance value compared to the value before the stress change is applied. Stress changes and associated strains can also be caused by other means, such as temperature changes, mechanical means such as mounting a silicon chip on a printed circuit board, or slow changes in the properties of the packaging material. .

  A specific example of a semiconductor device that can be realized on an integrated circuit is an electronic oscillator such as an RC oscillator. As is clear from the above discussion, when stress is applied to the silicon chip, the package RC oscillator shifts in frequency, and this frequency shift occurs regardless of whether the semiconductor chip is calibrated accurately before stress is applied. . It is known to precisely calibrate RC oscillators to eliminate process variations that occur for each naturally occurring wafer. Typically, this calibration process can be performed during or immediately after the manufacturing process, eg, during wafer probe inspection. At this time, it is known to perform a temperature sweep so that the temperature response of the device can be calibrated to eliminate subsequent temperature dependent variations. However, these known calibration techniques do not take into account subsequent changes in the RC product due to stress changes caused by silicon chip packaging.

  It is not easy to fully predict package-induced stress, and the present invention is based on the principle that package stress compensation requires a system that monitors package stress or its impact before making appropriate compensation. ing. Although it is known to use strain gauges for mechanical measurements of stress-induced strains, typically these devices are reference components that are free of strain compared to one or more straining components. Depends on. Alternatively, strain gauge characteristics can be measured using known reference quantities such as voltage or current. This means a major hindrance to mounting on the silicon die, which means that all components on the die are under some stress and there is no ideal reference component or quantity. Because.

  The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems and needs in at least some embodiments. In particular, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for compensating for stress-induced variations in RC oscillators. However, more generally, the present invention can be applied to compensation for stress-induced variations in the resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element used for another purpose. For example, the present invention can be used in band gap reference systems, piezoresistive devices, sensors, or other semiconductor devices that require fine control of resistance values.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for compensating for stress-induced fluctuations in the resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, the method comprising:
A semiconductor device preparation step for providing a semiconductor device including the semiconductor resistance element and a reference component, wherein the reference component includes a metal reference resistor and a semiconductor reference resistor.
Generating a compensation parameter by measuring the stress-induced change in resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or the stress-induced change in at least one quantity functionally related thereto; And using a compensation parameter to compensate for stress-induced variations in resistance value in the semiconductor resistance element using the compensation parameter;
It is characterized by having.

  The present invention utilizes different sensitivities to the stress exhibited by metal and semiconductor materials to determine and quantify the resistance change induced by stress.

  Typically, the semiconductor resistance element and the semiconductor reference resistance are formed from the same semiconductor material. Advantageously, at least the semiconductor reference resistor and optionally the metal reference resistor are arranged in the vicinity of the position of the semiconductor resistance element.

  Advantageously, the compensation parameter is generated by measuring a first ratio between a resistance value of the metal reference resistor and a resistance value of the semiconductor reference resistor. Conveniently, the compensation parameter is a second ratio of the resistance value of the metal reference resistor and the resistance value of the semiconductor reference resistor, the ratio of the second reference determined under reference conditions, It is generated by comparing the first ratio. In general, the ratio of the second reference is determined at the time of manufacture or immediately after manufacture, such as at the time of wafer probe inspection. This can be done as part of a larger calibration process that can include temperature dependent calibration. In a preferred embodiment, the compensation parameter is generated by obtaining the first ratio relative to the second ratio, or a quantity functionally related thereto.

  Advantageously, the compensation parameter generating step comprises a temperature compensation step for compensating for temperature-induced variations in measured resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. In this way, fluctuations in the measured resistance value due to temperature changes can be taken into account. The remaining resistance variation can be attributed to the presence of another stress that does not exist under the reference conditions. Preferably, the temperature compensation step is performed in connection with a database or mathematical model of resistance values as a function of the temperature of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. In one embodiment, the temperature dependence of the ratio of the resistance value of the metal reference resistance to the resistance value of the semiconductor reference resistance (or the ratio between at least one quantity functionally associated with each) by performing a temperature calibration procedure. Is determined by curve fitting (fitting). The compensation parameter generation step may include a step of correcting a ratio of a gauge factor of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance.

  The gauge factor (G) is defined by the relational expression ΔR / R = G (ΔL / L). Here, ΔR is a resistance value change caused by the applied stress change, R is a resistance value before the stress change, ΔL is a length change caused by the applied stress change, and L is a length before the stress change. ΔL / L represents axial strain.

ここで、ＲＲ_ΔＳは前記第１の比、ＲＲは前記第２の比、Ｇ_Ｓは前記半導体基準抵抗における半導体材料のゲージ率、Ｇ_Ｍは前記金属基準抵抗における金属材料のゲージ率、ΔＳ_Ｓは前記半導体基準抵抗が受ける歪みの変化、ΔＳ_Ｍは前記金属基準抵抗が受ける歪みの変化である。 In a preferred embodiment, the correction factor is obtained from the following relationship:

Here, RR _{[Delta] S} is the first ratio, RR is the second ratio, G _S is the gauge factor of the semiconductor material in the semiconductor reference resistor, G _M gauge of the metal material in the metal reference resistor, [Delta] S _S the change of distortion the semiconductor reference resistor is subjected, [Delta] S _M is the change in strain that the metal reference resistor is subjected.

Optionally, one or both of the terms G _M / G _S and ΔS _M / ΔS _S can be ignored. However, more accurate resistance compensation can be obtained by considering one or both of these ratios. In particular, it is possible to record the section _G M / _{G S.}

The correction factor is obtained from the following relationship.

  This relationship can be obtained from equation (1) by ignoring the expansion terms of the second and higher order. However, the correction factor can be obtained using another technique (approach) described herein.

  Advantageously, the metal reference resistor and the semiconductor reference resistor are connected in series. This configuration enables simple measurement of the ratio of resistance values in these elements. However, other configurations and associated measurement techniques can be implemented.

  Preferably, the semiconductor resistance element forms part of an RC oscillator, and the step of using the compensation parameter uses the compensation parameter as an index of a stress-induced variation in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element; And adjusting the RC oscillator to achieve a desired output frequency, taking into account an index of causal variation.

  However, the compensation parameters can be used in any suitable manner to compensate for stress-induced variations in the resistance values of one or more semiconductor resistance elements used in many other applications.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for compensating for stress-induced fluctuations in the resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, the apparatus comprising:
A semiconductor device having the semiconductor resistance element and a reference component, wherein the reference component has a metal reference resistor and a semiconductor reference resistor; and
A measurement component that measures a stress-induced change in resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or a stress-induced change in at least one quantity that is functionally related thereto, and is measured by the measurement configuration unit A compensation parameter generator for generating a compensation parameter from the stress-induced change;
A compensator that compensates for stress-induced variations in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistive element using the compensation parameter;
Is provided.

  Preferably, the semiconductor device is an integrated circuit. Conveniently, in an integrated circuit, the metal reference resistor is formed by connecting a plurality of vias in the integrated circuit. The vias are connected in series, but other configurations can be used.

  The metal reference resistance can be formed from tungsten or a tungsten alloy. Tungsten has the advantage of a low gauge modulus and a lower elastic modulus than many semiconductor materials such as polysilicon, so that the stress-induced strain is smaller than such semiconductor materials, Therefore, the second term in parentheses in equation (1) is smaller. In certain simple embodiments of the present invention, the metal reference resistor is formed from a plurality of connected tungsten vias in an integrated circuit.

  The semiconductor reference resistor can be formed from any suitable semiconductor material, such as polysilicon or doped silicon. Typically, the semiconductor reference resistor and the semiconductor resistance element are formed from the same semiconductor material.

  Preferably, the semiconductor device has an RC oscillator, and the semiconductor resistance element forms part of the RC oscillator. In these embodiments, the compensator uses the compensation parameter as an indicator of stress-induced variation in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistive element, and adjusts the RC oscillator to achieve the desired output frequency in view of the indicator of stress-induced variation. can do.

  The compensation parameter generator can include a temperature compensator that compensates for temperature-induced variations in measured resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. The temperature compensator has a database of resistance values as a function of metal reference resistance and semiconductor reference resistance temperature, or is configured to utilize a mathematical model of resistance values as a function of metal reference resistance and semiconductor reference resistance temperature. And the temperature compensator further includes a temperature measurement device for measuring temperature, and using the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device as reference data for the database or the mathematical model, the measurement configuration And a comparator for comparing the resistance value measured by the unit with the database or the mathematical model.

The present invention is as described above, but the present invention extends to the above-described embodiments or any combination of inventions in the following description, drawings, or claims. For example, an element of the first aspect according to the present invention can be incorporated into a second aspect according to the present invention, or vice versa.
In the following, embodiments of the apparatus and method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a schematic diagram of the integrated circuit of this invention. A three-dimensional element in which (a) shows an element to which no axial stress is applied, and (b) shows an element to which axial stress is applied. 1 shows a reference component of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an integrated circuit according to the present invention, showing vias.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an integrated circuit 10 according to the present invention, which includes a programmable RC oscillator 12, a control component 14 for the RC oscillator 12, a compensation parameter generator 16, and a temperature sensor 18. Prepare. The compensation parameter generator 16 includes a measurement configuration unit 16a and a compensation parameter calculator 16b. The measurement component 16a includes a metal reference resistance and a semiconductor reference resistance (not shown in FIG. 1). As can be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the programmable RC oscillator 12 includes a plurality of capacitors and resistors that can be interconnected to provide an output signal at a desired frequency that is approximately determined by the RC product. Like that. The components of the capacitor and resistor in the RC oscillator can be controlled by the control component 14. The resistance in the programmable RC oscillator 12 and the metal reference resistance and semiconductor reference resistance in the measurement component 16a are all located on the integrated circuit 10 and are therefore subjected to substantially the same stress. Advantageously, at least the semiconductor reference resistor is physically located on the integrated circuit close to the location of the resistance of the RC oscillator 12. As will be described in more detail below, the compensation parameter calculator 16b derives a compensation parameter using the measured value of the ratio of the metal reference resistance to the semiconductor reference resistance in the measurement component 16a, and the compensation parameter is integrated. It is an index of resistivity change induced by stress applied to the circuit.

  The present invention takes advantage of the different sensitivities to stress exhibited by metallic and semiconductor materials. This can be understood and quantified as the gauge factor of the material. The gauge factor is due to the geometric deformation of the three-dimensional solid when subjected to stress. The change in applied stress causes a ΔL / L strain, which in turn causes a change in the cross-sectional area of the physical solid defined by the Poisson's ratio v (v = axial strain / lateral strain).

For small deformations, material stretching is in terms of volume,
ΔV / V = (1-2v) ΔL / L
It can be expressed as.

  Strain changes the geometry of the resistive element. A solid with a Poisson's ratio of 0.5 will maintain a constant volume under varying stress conditions, but will exhibit a shape change. This is shown in FIG. 2, where FIG. 2a shows a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the element 20 before the axial stress change, and FIG. 2b shows a perspective view and a cross-section of the element 20 after the axial stress change causes axial distortion. The figure is shown. It can be seen that axial strain increases the length of the element but reduces the cross-sectional area. As an example, a metal resistor that is stretched by 1% under strain also has a cross-sectional area that is 1% smaller and thus exhibits a resistance change of about 2% for 1% strain. The gauge factor relates a minute change in resistance value to a minute change in length, and is defined by the relational expression G = (ΔR / R) / (ΔL / L). Here, ΔR is a resistance value change caused by the applied stress change, R is a resistance value before the stress change, ΔL is a length change caused by the applied stress change, and L is a length before the stress change, that is, ΔL / L represents axial distortion. Most metals have a gauge factor close to 2, because they retain a nearly constant volume under strain, but do not show a noticeable resistance-changing effect under relatively small stresses. Because. In contrast, semiconductor materials such as polysilicon have a higher gauge factor. This is because, in addition to causing changes in length and cross-sectional area, distortion of these materials also causes changes in the number of minority carriers and carrier mobility in the semiconductor material. As an example, the gauge factor of polysilicon is about 20.

  The present invention utilizes different gauge factors for metals and semiconductor materials by comparing the behavior of the semiconductor reference resistance with the behavior of the metal reference resistance. Since the resistance value of the metal resistor is not affected by the strain as compared with the semiconductor resistor, it is possible to obtain a variation in the resistance value that can be derived from the influence of the strain from the differential analysis of the resistance values of the metal reference resistor and the semiconductor reference resistor. In an ideal system, one of the reference resistors should have a gauge factor of zero and consequently act as a strain insensitive reference. The present invention not only recognizes that this ideal reference resistor does not exist, but also recognizes that excellent compensation can be achieved using a differential resistor configuration. When using a metal reference resistance having a gauge factor of about 2 and a polysilicon semiconductor reference resistor having a gauge factor of about 20, it is easy to assume that about 90% of the resistance change is induced by applied stress. Can do. This can provide excellent resistance correction, for example, a 500 ppm uncompensated stress-induced resistance change can be easily reduced to 50 ppm. However, as will be explained in more detail below, this can easily be improved by further compensation for the known gauge factor of the reference resistance. In these embodiments, the main error in correction is due to any error in the gauge factor used for additional compensation, and this residual is a correction to account for the actual gauge factor of the reference resistance. It is expected to be significantly less than the error associated with embodiments that do nothing.

FIG. 3 shows a possible configuration of the metal reference resistor 30 and the semiconductor reference resistor 32 in the measurement component 16a of FIG. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the metal reference resistor 30 and the semiconductor reference resistor 32 are arranged in series. Once the appropriate power supply current is supplied to the resistor 30 and 32, the voltage ratio V _{1 /} V ₂ can be easily measured, wherein, V ₁ is the voltage across the semiconductor reference resistor 32, V ₂ is a metal reference resistor 30 is a voltage applied. This voltage ratio represents the ratio of the resistance values of the resistors 32 and 30 and is independent of the power supply current. While this method of obtaining data from a reference resistance is convenient, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many other comparison methods using well-known techniques. For example, resistors can be connected in parallel and the same current obtained by a current mirror circuit can be supplied.

  The voltage ratio may be measured by using one voltage as a reference level and the other as an input level for an analog-to-digital converter. Other suitable techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

で与えられる。 If no stress, the resistance value _{R metal} of the resistance value _{R semi} and metal reference resistor of the semiconductor reference resistor,
R _semi = R ₁ · f ₁ (T) and R _metal = R ₂ · f ₂ (T)
As a result, the resistance ratio is

Given in.

f ₁ (T) and f ₂ (T) represent the temperature dependence of individual resistance values, and RR (T) represents the temperature dependence of the resistance ratio. The temperature dependence of the resistance ratio can be determined in a number of ways. For example, a temperature-dependent behavior of resistance or a direct measurement of resistance ratio can be determined prior to packaging of the integrated circuit. Typically, the RC oscillator is calibrated prior to packaging the integrated circuit, and conveniently the temperature dependence of the resistance ratio can be determined at or around this point. Curve fitting can be performed to establish that relationship. The temperature coefficient of the metal is larger than that of the semiconductor material, and therefore, the R _semi value is much larger than the R _metal value, and as a result, the temperature-induced change in the resistance value becomes a similar magnitude, and the stress of R _semi It is desirable to ensure that the resulting change is not overwhelmed by the temperature-induced change in R _metal .

となる。ここでΔＳは歪み変化、Ｇ・ΔＳは、この歪み変化に起因する抵抗値の微小変化、添え字は半導体（Ｓ）又は金属（Ｍ）を示す。従って、元の抵抗比に対する応力変化後の抵抗比の比は、

と表すことができる。 After packaging, the stress change experienced by the integrated circuit induces changes in R _semi and R _metal , so that the resistance ratio is

It becomes. Here, ΔS represents a strain change, G · ΔS represents a minute change in resistance value resulting from the strain change, and a subscript represents a semiconductor (S) or a metal (M). Therefore, the ratio of the resistance ratio after stress change to the original resistance ratio is

It can be expressed as.

である場合、抵抗比の比は、

と表すことができ、従って、半導体抵抗値の微小変化は、抵抗比の比から計算することができる。

A minute change in resistance value is indicated by δR, and a ratio of a minute change in metal resistance value to a minute change in semiconductor resistance value is indicated by k, where k is

The ratio of the resistance ratio is

Therefore, a minute change in the semiconductor resistance value can be calculated from the ratio of the resistance ratios.

Using Equation (2), it is possible to derive the compensation parameter for the stress-induced resistance change by changing the degree of approximation. It is known that the change in the metal resistance value is much smaller than the change in the semiconductor resistance value, and therefore k is very small, so that the first term of the denominator of Equation (2) can be completely ignored. Instead, higher accuracy can be obtained if the ratio of the gauge factor of the metal and semiconductor material is known or can be determined. For example, as described above, the ratio G _M / G _S for metal / polysilicon is known to be about 0.1. If it is assumed that the applied stress produces a strain level similar to the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance (that is, ΔS _{S to} ΔS _M ), k can be approximated by 0.1. In order to obtain a more accurate value of k, the actual ratio ΔS _M / ΔS _S can be considered with higher accuracy by using knowledge of the elastic modulus of the metal and semiconductor materials. It can be seen that various methods may be implemented to obtain the value for the stress-induced change in the semiconductor resistance value from the ratio of the resistance ratio after the stress change to the original resistance ratio. This value can be calculated using an appropriately configured compensation parameter calculator 16b as shown in FIG. In the situation where there is a programmable RC oscillator device as shown in FIG. 1, the value er _rs represents the change that needs to be applied to the oscillator programming code to compensate for the effects of stress. The value can be transmitted from the compensation parameter calculator 16b to the control component 14 for the programmable RC oscillator. Control component 14 receives the value &Dgr; R _S, also using that value, RC oscillator to be able reliably to produce the desired frequency output. The control component 14 can control the operation of the programmable RC oscillator 12 in many ways that would be readily conceived by those skilled in the art in response to the received values. For example, the control component 14 can ensure relative use of different combinations of resistors and capacitors and / or different interconnection techniques for situations where stress-induced changes in resistance values are not detected. Additionally or alternatively, a dithering technique may be implemented to fine tune the frequency of the signal output by the programmable oscillator 12.

  Various metal can be used to make the metal reference resistance. The resistance value of the selected metal preferably exhibits low sensitivity to stress and has a temperature dependence close to that of the semiconductor material used for the semiconductor reference resistance. An example of a metal that can be used when the semiconductor reference resistor is formed of polysilicon is tungsten, but is not limited thereto. The advantage lies in a low gauge modulus and a lower modulus than polysilicon (modulus is about 1/3 that of polysilicon), resulting in less strain induced by common stress. This has the effect that the term k in the denominator of equation (2) is smaller and, as a result, the effect of the error in the value of this term on the change in the calculated semiconductor resistance value is smaller.

  The metal reference resistance can be formed by various methods. Many standard silicon wafers provide a metal resistance with a typical sheet resistance value on the order of 100 μΩ / □. Although resistance values associated with such structures tend to be smaller than preferred for many applications, metal reference resistors can be manufactured using these standard metal resistors. It is advantageous to employ a silicon wafer having a higher sheet resistance metal resistance. In an alternative approach, a new use of via structure is proposed. Many standard silicon wafers have via structures that are small posts of conductive material filled with holes between insulating layers, so that the conductive layers above and below the vias are electrically connected. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the integrated circuit, and shows a situation where the second insulating layer is formed on the first insulating layer 40. A conductive layer 44 is provided adjacent to the first insulating layer 40, and another conductive layer 46 is formed on the second insulating layer 42. FIG. 4 shows the via structure 48 located in the opening formed in the second insulating layer 42. It can be seen that the via 48 is formed of a metal material and electrically connects the conductive layers 44 and 46.

  A variety of materials can be used to form the via 48, but is typically formed from tungsten. The present inventors have found that a metal reference resistor can be formed by a simple method by connecting a plurality of vias to each other, and these metal reference resistors can be easily integrated into a design body as a standard silicon wafer. The metal reference resistor can be easily formed by a serial configuration of a plurality of vias. It is particularly preferred to use a tungsten via configuration for this purpose, which is due to the advantageous properties of tungsten discussed above, and the resistance value of each tungsten via is typically about 5Ω, Therefore, a metal reference resistor having an available resistance value (for example, about several kΩ) can be easily manufactured using a standard silicon wafer. However, other methods of forming a metal reference resistance and other suitable metals for use in the metal reference resistance will be readily conceived by those skilled in the art using the principles described herein.

Claims (19)

A method for compensating for stress-induced variation in resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, the method comprising:
A semiconductor device preparation step for providing a semiconductor device having the semiconductor resistance element and a reference component, wherein the reference component has a metal reference resistor and a semiconductor reference resistor; and
Generating a compensation parameter by measuring the stress-induced change in the resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or the stress-induced change in at least one quantity functionally related thereto; And using a compensation parameter to compensate for stress-induced variations in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element using the compensation parameter;
A method characterized by comprising:   The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation parameter is generated by measuring a first ratio of a resistance value of the metal reference resistor and a resistance value of the semiconductor reference resistor.   3. The method of claim 2, wherein the compensation parameter is a second ratio of a resistance value of the metal reference resistor and a resistance value of the semiconductor reference resistor, the second parameter determined under reference conditions. Generating by comparing the first ratio to a reference ratio.   4. The method of claim 3, wherein the compensation parameter is generated by obtaining a ratio of the first ratio to the second ratio, or an amount functionally related thereto.   5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compensation parameter generation step includes a temperature compensation step of compensating for a temperature-induced variation in measured resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. .   6. The method of claim 5, wherein the temperature compensation step is performed with reference to a database or mathematical model of resistance values as a function of metal resistance and semiconductor resistance temperature.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the compensation parameter generation step includes a step of correcting a ratio of a gauge factor of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the correction factor is:

Given, where, RR _{[Delta] S} is the first ratio, RR gauge of the second ratio, G _S is the gauge factor of the semiconductor material in the semiconductor reference resistor, G _M is a metal material in the metal reference resistor ΔS _S is the change in strain experienced by the semiconductor reference resistance, ΔS _M is the change in strain experienced by the metal reference resistance, and optionally one of the terms G _M / G _S and ΔS _M / ΔS _S or Ignore both ways.   9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor resistance element forms part of an RC oscillator, and the compensation parameter using step sets the compensation parameter to the resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element. Using as an indicator of stress-induced variation, and adjusting the RC oscillator to take into account the stress-induced variation indicator to achieve a desired output frequency. An apparatus for compensating for stress-induced variation in resistance value of a semiconductor resistance element, the apparatus comprising:
A semiconductor device having the semiconductor resistance element and a reference component, wherein the reference component has a metal reference resistor and a semiconductor reference resistor;
A measurement component that measures a stress-induced change in resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or a stress-induced change in at least one quantity that is functionally related thereto, and is measured by the measurement configuration unit A compensation parameter generator for generating a compensation parameter from the stress-induced change;
A compensator that compensates for stress-induced variations in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element using the compensation parameter;
An apparatus comprising:   12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the semiconductor device is an integrated circuit.   12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the metal reference resistor is formed by connecting a plurality of vias on the integrated circuit.   The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vias are connected in series.   14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the metal reference resistance is formed from tungsten or a tungsten alloy.   15. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the semiconductor reference resistor is formed from polysilicon or doped silicon.   16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the semiconductor device comprises an RC oscillator and the semiconductor resistance element forms part of the RC oscillator.   17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the compensator uses the compensation parameter as an index of the stress-induced variation in the resistance value of the semiconductor resistance element, and adjusts the RC oscillator in consideration of the stress-induced variation. A device that achieves the desired output frequency.   The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the compensation parameter generator includes a temperature compensator that compensates for temperature-induced variations in measured resistance values of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. . 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the temperature compensator has a database of resistance values as a function of the temperature of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance, or the resistance as a function of the temperature of the metal reference resistance and the semiconductor reference resistance. Configured to utilize a mathematical model of values, and the temperature compensator further comprises:
A temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature, and using the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device as reference data for the database or the mathematical model, the resistance value measured by the measuring component is converted to the database or mathematics. A device having a comparator for comparison with a static model.

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