US3700977A

US3700977A - Diffused resistor

Info

Publication number: US3700977A
Application number: US116144A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerald K Lunn
Original assignee: Motorola Inc
Current assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
Priority date: 1971-02-17
Filing date: 1971-02-17
Publication date: 1972-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-24
Also published as: NL7201965A; DE2206793A1

Abstract

There is disclosed an improved technique for reducing or eliminating parasitic capacitance associated with diffused resistors in which the normal buried layer is eliminated and in which each resistor is either fully or partially surrounded by an isolation ring. The epitaxial layer between the resistive element and the isolation ring is provided with a back bias either at one end of the resistor or at the point along the resistor at which no signal exists. In one case this may be accomplished by shorting the epitaxial layer to the low impedance end of the resistor. In the embodiment in which one end of the resistor is shorted to the epitaxial layer, the resistor is polarized having a low impedance end and a high impedance end, such that the end to which the epitaxial layer is shorted is the end which is coupled to the low impedance node of a circuit. In the case where the resistor is to be coupled across nodes having equal impedance, the epitaxial layer is provided with back bias adjacent that point along the length of the resistor at which no signal appears. There is also disclosed a guard circuit, which minimizes parasitic capacitance in cases where a low resistivity epitaxial layer or a buried layer is provided. The guard circuit is in the form of an impedance convertor having a high impedance output applied to the high impedance end of the resistor while the low impedance of the convertor is coupled to an epitaxial layer contact adjacent this high impedance end. In the guard circuit embodiment, an additional epitaxial layer contact is provided adjacent the low impedance end of the resistor and is shorted thereto so as to provide the aforementioned back bias.

Description

United States Patent Lunn [54] DIFFUSED RESISTOR [72] Inventor: Gerald K. Lunn, Scottsdale, Ariz.

[7 3] Assignee: Motorola, Inc., Franklin Park, Ill.

[22] Filed: Feb. 17, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 116,144

[52] US. Cl. ....3l7/235 R, 317/237 UA, 317/235 D,

Primary Examiner-John W. l-luckert Assistant ExaminerE. Wojciechowicz AttorneyMuelle & Aichele [5 7] ABSTRACT There is disclosed an improved technique for reducing or eliminating parasitic capacitance associated with diffused resistors in which the normal buried layer is eliminated and in which each resistor is either fully or partially surrounded by an isolation ring. The epitaxial layer between the resistive element and the isolation ring is provided with a back bias either at one end of the resistor or at the point along the resistor at which no signal exists. In one case this may be accomplished by shorting the epitaxial layer to the low impedance end of the resistor. In the embodiment in which one end of the resistor is shorted to the epitaxial layer, the resistor is polarized having a low impedance end and a high impedance end, such that the end to which the epitaxial layer is shorted is the end which is coupled to the low impedance node of a circuit. In the case where the resistor is to be coupled across nodes having equal impedance, the epitaxial layer is provided with back bias adjacent that point along the length of the resistor at which no signal appears. There is also disclosed a guard circuit, which minimizes parasitic capacitance in cases where a low resistivity epitaxial layer or a buried layer is provided. The guard circuit is in the form of an impedance convertor having a high impedance output applied to the high impedance end of the resistor while the low impedance of the convertor is coupled to an epitaxial layer contact adjacent this high impedance end. In the guard circuit embodiment, an additional epitaxial layer contact is provided adjacent the low impedance end of the resistor and is shorted thereto so as to provide the aforementioned back bias.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures ISOLATION RING, 3O

PATENTEDIIN 24 I972 SHEET 1 (IF 2 PRIOR ART ISLAND, I4

ISOLATION, I6

BURIED LAYER, I5

HEADER,22

n epi (LOW RESISTIVITY) 2 BURIED LAYER (LOW RESISTIVITY) VLUMPED CAPACITOR,27

A.c. GROUND DIFFUSED RESISTOR ISOLATION RING, 3O

OUTPUT LOW IMPEDANCE END INVENTOR.

Gem/d K. Lunn D N E E C N A D E P M H p o H BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved diffused resistance element and more specifically to a technique for reducing parasitic capacitance associated with diffused resistors.

One of the'problems with monolithic diffused resistors is the problem of distributed junction capacitance which limitsfthe use of these resistors in high frequency circuits. In the past, islands'of resistors, isolated by a diffused isolation ring have beenprovided with a buried layer primarily to eliminate stacking faults in growingthe epitaxial layer into which the resistors are diffused. A second reason for using a buried layer is to providea uniform voltage plane under the resistors within the island so as to isolate the resistors within the island from transistors positioned outside the island on the same monolithic chip. Although this technique has been successful in low frequency circuits, it has been a major contributing factor to parasitic capacitance when this configuration is used in high frequency circuits. The reason for the high parasitic capacitance in high frequency circuits utilizing the aforementioned technique, is the fact that the buried layer provides a low resistance underneath the resistor, thus allowing the distributed junction capacitance to collect or lump at one point. Since the parasitic capacitance between the resistive element andthe buried layer is effectively collected or lumped at one point, his more effectively coupled to ground by the buried layer. The parasitic capacitance in this prior art configuration is thus much more of a problem than if the buried layer were not used.

A second problem with prior art diffused resistors is the need for back biasing to prevent a diode from being formed somewhere along the resistor between it and the epitaxial layer into which it is diffused. Any contact to the epitaxial layer to provide back bias is surrounded with a region of low impedance to ground. It is this low impedance which makes significant any parasitic capacitance between the resistor and the epitaxial layer. Thus the placement of this back bias contact can be critical in the reduction of parasitic capacitance.

It has been found that the effects. of parasitic capacitance can be substantially reduced by getting rid of the buried layer or by compensating for the buried layer by guard circuitry and by providing that the back bias contact be adjacent that end of the resistor which is to be connected to a low impedance node in the circuit. By placing the back biasing contact at the low impedance end of 'the resistor the effects of its low im-- pedance region are minimized in the vicinity of the high impedance end of the resistor. This is significant because the effects of parasitic impedance are felt most strongly at high impedance nodes of a given circuit. The simplest way of providing the necessary back bias is to short the epitaxial layer adjacent the low imipedance end of the resistor to this low impedance end. In most cases voltage delivered to the low impedance end of the resistor will provide sufficient back bias.

The subject invention, which includes two embodiments, thus solves the parasitic capacitance problem by either removing the buried layer and providing a shorting contact; or by compensating for the buried layer by providing a guard circuit at one end of the resistor and a shorting contact at the other end. In either case the contact on the epitaxial layer adjacent one end of the diffused resistor is provided with the aforementioned back bias. Whenever the low impedance node of the circuit to which the resistor is tobeatta'ched has a voltage sufficient' to back bias theresistor -epitaxial layer junction, the contact at one end of the diffused resistor is shorted to the portion of the epitaxial layer immediately adjacent thereto. In any case, each resistive element is either encircled or almost completely surrounded by an isolation ring so as to greatly reduce the parasitic capacitance. The effect of back biasing the epitaxial layer adjacent-one end of the resistor is to minimize the capacitive effect of back biasing the epitaxial layer. Because of the placement of the back biasing contact the resistive element is polarized, in the sense that there is an end to be connected to the high impedance node in the particular circuit, while the other end is to be connected to the low impedance node of the circuit. In any given circuit it will be imrnediately obvious that of the two nodes across which the resistor is to be connected, one node will be a high impedance node and the other node will be a low impedance node. In the situation when the nodes are of equal impedance, that point along the resistor at which no signal occurs, is the point adjacent which the epitaxial layer is to be providedwith back bias. In a first embodiment, no buried layer and a high resistivity epitaxial layer is used to minimize the aforementioned lumping effect. When high and low impedance nodes exist in the circuit, by connecting the low impedance node of the circuit to the low impedance end of the resistor, and by connecting the high impedance node of the circuit to the high impedance end of the resistor, parasitic capacitance can be virtually eliminated if the resistance of the epitaxial layer, is higher per unit length than of the resisto i I The second embodiment of the invention relates to the use of a low resistivity epitaxial layer and guard circuitry which counteracts such lumping that the high impedance end of the resistor is driven directly with the signal, while the epitaxial layer adjacent this high impedance end is driven with a low impedance replica of the signal. For this purpose a separate contact to the epitaxial layer is provided adjacent the high impedance end of the resistor. By driving one end of the resistor with a high impedance signal and driving the epitaxial layer with a low impedance replica of the signal, a linear voltage distribution equivalent to the voltage distribution along the resistor is formed along the epitaxial layer-substrate junction directly underneath the resistor. This provides that there be no voltage difference between corresponding points along the resistor and the epitaxial layer. If there is no voltage difference, there is no current flowing from the resistor to the epitaxial layer-substrate junction. If there is no current flowing, there is no loading effect and thus,-any potenv tial parasitic capacitance between the resistonand this junction has no effect, since there is no current flowing through the parasitic capacitance. The other end of the resistor in this configuration, i.e., the low impedance end, has the low impedance end shorted to the epitaxial region adjacent thereto, as in the first configuration so as to back bias the resistor.

This reduces any stray capacitance not cancelled by the guard circuit. Thus, the guard circuitry minimizes parasitic capacitance between the resistor and the epitaxial layer-substrate junction, while the provision of the back bias to the low impedance end further minimizes the effect of any stray parasitic capacitance. In the second configuration, the epitaxial layer resistivity is made sufficiently low either by use of small buried layers within the isolation ring or by doping so that the distributed capacitance from the epitaxial layer to the substrate does not significantly affect the voltage distribution'along the epitaxial layer. In this manner, the resistor driven by the aforementioned impedance con- -vertor is completely guarded and the capacitance from the resistor to the epitaxial layer has no effect. Even if there is some departure from a linear voltage distribution along the epitaxial layer, there is still a considerable reduction in effective parasitic capacitance utilizing this second technique because of the technique of providing back bias at the epitaxial layer adjacent the low impedance end of the resistor.

' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved monolithic diffused resistor in which parasitic capacitance is reduced.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved monolithic diffused resistor having reduced parasitic capacitance by providing that each diffused resistor be surrounded by an isolation ring and that the epitaxial layer into which the resistive element is diffused between the isolation ring and the resistor, be provided with a back bias adjacent one end of the resistor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved monolithic diffused resistor having reduced parasitic capacitance by partially enclosing the resistive element with an isolation barrier leaving one end of the resistor unsurrounded such that any back biasing is effectively applied adjacent this unsurrounded end.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved monolithic diffused resistor and guard circuitry therefore in order to reduce the parasitic capacitance associated with a diffused resistor.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide the combination of an impedance converter and an improved monolithic diffused resistor provided with epitaxial layer contacts adjacent each end of the resistor.

Other objects of this invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 4. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one e'mbodimentof the improved diffused resistor in which the buried layer is removed and in which the resistor is surrounded by an isolation ring, the epitaxial layer adjacent one end of the resistive element being provided with a back bias potential.

FIG. 4 is atypical amplifying circuit showing the low impedance and high impedance nodes across which the resistive element shown in FIG. 3 is shown connected.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the parasitic capacitance developed between the resistive element of FIG. 3 and the epitaxial layer and the distributed capacitance between the epitaxial layer, and ground.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top views of two different embodiments of the improved resistor showing both the case where the resistive element'is completely surrounded by an isolation ring and where the resistive element is only partially surrounded. I

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention which includes the combination of anlimpedance convertor and a completely surrounded resistive element having contacts to the epitaxial layer adjacent either end of the resistive element.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the guard circuit connected to the resistor shown in FIG. 8 in which parasitic-capacitance between the resistive element and the epitaxial layer and between the epitaxial layer and AC ground is minimized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is disclosed" an improved technique for eliminating parasitic capacitance associated with diffused resistors wherein the norrnal buried layer is eliminated and in which each resistor is either fully or partially surrounded by an isolation ring. The epitaxial layer between the resistive element and the isolation ring is provided with back bias either at one end of the resistor or at the point on the resistor at which no signal exists. In the case where the epitaxial layer at one end of the resistor is provided with a back bias. The resistor is said to be polarized so as to have a low impedance endand a high impedance end. The end at which the epitaxial layer is provided with back bias becomes the low impedance end. In the case where the resistor is to be coupled across nodes having equal impedance, the epitaxial layer is provided with a back bias at that point along the length of the resistor at which no signal appears. There is disclosed an additional guard circuit which further minimizes the parasitic capacitance. The guard circuit functions as an impedance convertor such that the high impedance signal from the convertor is applied to the resistor-at its high impedance end while the low impedance output of the convertor is coupled to the epitaxial layer contact adjacent this high impedance end. An additional epitaxial layer contact is provided adjacent the low impedance end for the provision of back bias adjacent thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As mentioned hereinbefore, conventional diffused resistors suffer from distributed capacitance to the substrate which limits the frequency response of integrated circuit (IC) amplifiers utilizing these resistors.

As shown in FIG. 1, conventional layout techniques put all

resistors

11, 12 and 13 in a common epitaxial layer island 14 with a buried layer 15 underneath. The

epitaxial island is surrounded by an isolation ring 16 so as to shieid the resistive elements within the epitaxial island from the effects of active devices on other parts of the chip 10. In FIG. 1, a P-type material 13 is shown diffused into an N-type epitaxial layer 14 which is deposited on'an N+ type buried layer 15. In this configuration the buried layer 15 is diffused into a P-type substrate 17. Unfortunately, this configuration maximizes the parasitic capacitance problem because the low resistance buried layer 15 effectively connects the whole epitaxial island 14 to AC ground.

One coupling path is through an AC decoupling circuit 18 and is shown by a dotted line 19 going through the epitaxial island 14 to a contact 20. The necessary V+ back bias voltage is applied to the contact 20 so as to reverse bias the junction between the resistive elements and the epitaxial layer to prevent transistor action. Normally this back biasing is provided with. an AC decoupling circuit 18 and it is this circuit which provides one low impedance path between the buried layer 15 and ground.

Since this capacitance coupled path to ground can occur when there is strong AC decoupling to ground provided by the AC decoupling circuit 18, the effect of this low impedance path is minimized in the present invention by the aforementioned placement of the epitaxial layer electrode adjacent one end of the res'istor.

The other low impedance path, between the buried layer 15 and the AC ground, is provided through the substrate 17. In normal operation this substrate lies on a grounded heat sink or header 22 such that the buried layer has a direct capacitance coupled link to the AC ground through the substrate. This capacitance coupled path is shown by dotted line 21 and is caused by the aforementioned lumped capacitance, due to the low resistivity of the buried layer 15. This low resistivity buried layer effectively couples allof the distributed capacitance, shown along resistor 13 of FIG. 2, to ground as follows. The low resistivity of the buried layer effectively eliminates any resistance between the lower ends of the distributed capacitors shown at 26. Thus, each of the little parasitic capacitors 26 are effectively shorted together at their lower ends by the buried layer. The buried layer provides a uniform voltage plane which functions as the top plate of the capacitor 27. In this case the top plate of the capacitor 27 is the bottom of the buried layer 15 and the bottom plate is the header 22. Thus, the buried layer 15 can be considered the top plate of a large capacitor which directly and strongly couples the distributed capacitance along the length of the resistive element 13 to ground. This latter low impedance path is removed by the removal of the aforementioned buried layer.

In summary, if there is either a strong AC decoupling or a low resistivity buried layer, the resistive element 13 will be directly capacitance coupled to the AC ground as shown in FIG. 2. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the buried layer, while potentially eliminating stacking faults in growing the epitaxial layer and while providing a uniform potential under all of the resistors in the epitaxial island, generates a far greater problem than it solves, when the resistors are to be used in high frequency circuits. In effect, the buried layer and the arbitrary placement of the epitaxial layer contact maximizes the effect of parasitic capacitance distributed along the resistive element.

This problem is solved by the subject invention by providing the aforementioned back bias at a predetermined place adjacent the resistor and by providing either a separate isolation region with no buried layer in which the epitaxial layer is of a high resistivity or alternately, or by retaining a portion of the buried layer so as to make the epitaxiallayer of a low resistivity and by providing a guard circuit.

The first of these techniques is shown by the structure of FIG. 3. In this technique, a particular resistor to have low parasitic capacitance is isolated within the island by an isolation ring 30. The particular, resistor is shown in FIG. 3 at 31 to be diffused into an epitaxial layer 32 which is in turn deposited on a substrate of an opposite conductivity type 33. In one embodiment the resistor 31 is P-type material diffused into an N-type epitaxial island which is in turn deposited on a P-type substrate. The isolation ring 30, in this embodiment, is P- type material and in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, completely surrounds the resistive element 31. At one end of the resistive element 31, in spaced adjacency thereto, is provided a contact 34 to the epitaxial region interior to the isolation ring 30. This is accomplished by diffusing an N+ region 35 into the epitaxial layer 32 such that the contact 34 can be made adjacent this one end of the resistive element 31. This end is given a reference numeral 40 and corresponds to the aforementioned low impedance end of the resistor. The contact 34 is shown in spaced adjacency to the end 40 of the resistive element 31 so that the N+ region 35 can be. diffused into the epitaxial layer 32 without contacting the P-region 36. The low impedance end 40 may be shorted to the contact 34 either by external circuitry, as shown by arrows 37, or by providing a shorting bar 55 directly across the contacts, 34 and 38, as shown in FIG. 6. The other end of the resistive element 31 is referred to herein as the high impedance end 41 having a contact 42 thereon.

If there is insufficient voltage at the low impedance end of .the resistor to back bias the whole resistorepitaxial layer junction, then this bias may be provided separately at this low impedance end by applying the necessary voltage at the contact 34. In this case the contact 34 is not shorted to the contact at the low impedance end of the resistor.

As shown in FIG. 4, in any given circuit, there is usually a low impedance node and a high impedance node across which the resistor is to be connected. This is shown by the simple amplifying circuit of FIG. 4 composed of an NPN transistor 44 having a signal delivered to its base, with its emitter grounded and its collector connected through a diffused resistor to the collector supply voltage V It will be appreciated that in this circuit a low impedance node is the collector supply voltage V while the high impedance node is the collector of the transistor 44. In most circuits it will be apparent when a resistor is to be connected between two nodes which node is the high impedance node and which node is the low impedance node. If the two nodes have equal impedance, then that portion on the resistor at which no signal appears, is provided with a back bias at the epitaxial layer immediately adjacent thereto. In most cases this will be the center of the resistive element. Taking the usual case, however, the equivalent cir'cuit for the resistor shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 5.'-Here the low impedance end is the end 40 and the high impedance end is the end 41. As specified in FIG. 3, the epitaxial layer adjacent the end 40 is shorted tothe end 40 by placing a conductive strip between contacts 24 and 38. This connection is shown by line 45. As can be seen from the schematic diagram in FIG. 5, because of the high resistivity of the epitaxial layer, there is no capacitance lumping because each of the distributed capacitances shown at 26' are separated from one another by a portion of thehigh resistivity epitaxial layer 32. Thus, each capacitance 26' is only weakly coupled to ground 25 by the distributed. capacitances 27 along the epitaxial layer 32. There is, however, a direct short, as shown at line 45, which serves to reduce the effect of the parasitic capacitance between the resistive element 31 and epitaxial layer 32.

The function of shoring the low impedance end of the resistor to the epitaxial layer adjacent thereto is as follows: First, all diffused resistors require a back biasing potential to prevent the formation of a diode somewhere between the resistor and the epitaxial layer. Secondly, any contact to apply this back biasing potential will have associated with it a low impedance region.

Thirdly, the capacitance from the resistor to the epitax-' ial layer is only significant if there is a low impedance path from the epitaxial layer to ground. The problem then becomes where to put the necessary epitaxial layer contact to minimize the effect of its low impedance region. It will be appreciated that when the subject resistor is connected in a circuit, one end of the resistor will usually be connected to a high impedance node. It is important that the effect of parasitic capacitance is felt most strongly at this high impedance node. Therefore, by placing the epitaxial contact as far away from this high impedance node as possible, the effects of the low impedance region in generating capacitance between the resistor and the epitaxial layer is minimized. Therefore placing the contact at the low parasitic capacitance. Although the epitaxial layer need not be shorted to one end of the resistor, in normal operation back bias may be supplied by the voltage to the low impedance end of the resistor, and this is why the epitaxial contact is shorted to this low impedance end. Further, since the epitaxial layer 32 has a resistance which is higher per unit length than the resistive element 31, the series resistance to the AC ground 25 is significant and the distributed capacitance to ground is determined by the series combination of resistor-to-epitaxial layer capacitance with epitaxial Iayer-to-substrate capacitance. In one experimental configuration, the resistor has a resistance of 200 ohms per mil while the epitaxial layer has a resistance of 500 ohms per mil.

Two embodiments of the configuration in which high resistivity epitaxial layers and no buried layers are used are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG, 6 resistive element 31 is diffused into epitaxial layer 32 and is completely surrounded by an isolation ring 30. It will be appreciated that the resistive element 31 and the isolation ring have a like conductivity type with the epitaxial layer having an opposite conductivity type. The resistor impedance end of the resistor minimizes the effect of g in this con-figuration is of a P-typehaving a sheet resistivity of 20009. The epitaxial layer 32 is N typeand has a-bulk resistivity of 2Q'-cm. The isolation ring 30 is of a P-type and has an impurity concentration of 10 atoms/cc. It will be appreciated that conventional methods of calculating the resistance of the resistive element 31 are applicable in the subject technique as well as in the prior art configurations. A discussion of the resistance characteristics of the resistive element 31 is therefore omitted. In this configuration a contact 38 to the resistive element 31 and a contact 34 to the epitaxial layer 32 are provided with a shorting bar 55 as mentioned hereinbefore. This provides the resistor with a low impedance end-.40 with the opposite end 41 being the high impedance end of the resistor. A

As shown in FIG. 7, the resistor 31' need not be entirelysurrounded by the isolation ring. As shown by the isolation region 60, one end of the resistive element 31' may be left unsurrounded. This is the low impedance end 40' with the high impedance end 41' being well within isolation region 60. This configuration saves on layout space because the contact to the epitaxial layer, hereshown at 61, can be anywhere outside of the isolation region 60. The simulated adjacency of contact 61 to end 40 is provided by the U-shaped isolation region 60 such that the adjacency of the contact 61 to the end 40' is not critical since the rest of the resistive element is shielded by the region 6.0. The end 40, in this case, is shown with a contact 38 audit will be appreciated that either a direct shorting bar may be attached between the contact 61 and contact 38' or the connection therebetween may be made externally as shown at line 62. It is open ended structure, shown by the configuration of the isolation region 60, which gives the resistor, shown in FIG. 7, the impedance polarity necessary for the reduction of the parasiticcapacitance. It will be appreciated that the impurity concentrations and the conductivities are similar to those shown in FIG. 6.

As mentioned. hereinbefore, an alternate configuration, which will reduce parasitic capacitance, is one in which theepitaxial layer is of a low resistivity. Thestructure which can be usedis shown in FIG. 8 to include a completely encircling isolation ring which surrounds a resistive element 71 having a like conductivity type to that of the isolation ring 70. The resistive element 71 is diffused into an epitaxial layer 72, which is of a low resistivity per unit length and is indeed much lower than that of the resistive element 71. Although a buried layer is not necessary, a buried layer 73 is shown to be directly underneath the resistive element 71 so as to give the epitaxial layer 72 a lower resistivity. This differs from the configuration shown in FIG. 1, because the buried layer is very narrow and is completely within the isolation ring 70. An alternate embodiment (not shown) is to provide small N+ regions within the isolation ring 70 since it is not critical that the buried layer 73 lie directly underneath resistive element 71. The structure shown in FIG. 8 further differs from the structure shown in FIG. 1 in that two contacts, 74 and 75, are provided adjacent either end of the resistive element 71. The low impedance end of this resistor is shown at a contact 76 which may be either shorted to a contact 75 or connected externally to a back biasing potential, as shown in this figure. This shorting acts in the same manner as the shorting in the embodiment shown in FlG. 3 to reduce the effects of back biasing nected directly to the epitaxial layer. The high impedance end of the resistor is provided with guard circuitry in which the contact 77 is provided with a high impedance version of the input signal, as shown by the line 78, while the contact immediately adjacent the contact 77, i.e., the contact 74, is provided with a low impedance version of the input signal, as shown by the line 79. The input signal, shown at 80, is coupled to an impedance convertor 81 which in general is an emitter follower type

circuit involving transistors

82 and 83, which are PNP and NPN transistors, respectively. The emitter of the transistor 82 and the collector of the transistor 83 are coupled through

identical resistors

84 and 85 to the supply voltage, shown as V+. The high impedance output is taken at the collector of the transistor 83 while the low impedance output is taken at the emitter of the transistor 82. In this configuration, the low impedance end of the resistor is shown coupled to the power supply voltage V+. Guard circuitry such as that shown by the emitter-follower pair may be-provided separately or may already be part of the circuit in to which the resistor is to be placed. The equivalent circuit is shown in FIG. 9. It will be appreciated that the resistive element 71 is driven by guard circuitry, which in essense is an impedance convertor which lowers the impedance of the input signal while preserving phase and all other aspects. The impedance convertor is therefore represented as box 90 with a +1 therein.

As shown in FIG. 9, if an epitaxial layer has a resistivity which is made sufficiently low that the distributed capacitance from the epitaxial layer to the substrate does not significantly effect the voltage distribution along the epitaxial layer, then the resistive element 71 will be completely guarded and the capacitance from the resistive element to the epitaxial layer will have no effect. Even if there is some departure from the linear voltage distribution, there is still a considerable reduction in effective parasitic capacitance. To achieve this significant effect, the end to end epitaxial layer resistance must be lower than that for the resistive element. With high resistivity epitaxial layers, the epitaxial layer resistance is too high to give good results without making the epitaxial island very wide. To lower the epitaxial island resistance, as mentioned before, many small buried layer diffusions (not shown) may be made along the length of the layer; or a very narrow buried layer, as shown at 73, may be diffused directly underneath the resistive element 71. Because of the low resistivity of the epitaxial layer, there would normally be the afore-mentioned capacitance lumping. The guard circuitry represented by the impedance convertor 90 compensates for what would otherwise be an intolerable situation by driving the epitaxial layer, immediately adjacent the high impedance end of the resistive element 71, in such a manner that the signal voltage developed across the parasitic capacitance, shown at 75, between the resistor element 71 and the epitaxial region 72 is zero. Thus the spurious current through the parasitic capacitance is also zero. As mentioned before, if the current through a capacitor is zero, the capacitor has no effect. By driving both the resistive element 71 and the epitaxial layer 72 such that the voltage along each of the elements is equal, the ends of the capacitors 75 will have equal voltages on them. There wili be no voltage drop across the capacitors and hence none of the aforementioned current. Thus there will be no parasitic capacitance effect with the technique shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. If any spurious capacitance occurs it will be coupled to the AC ground by capacitors 76. These capacitors are not lumped as in PEG. 2 because the majority of the parasitic capacitance between the resistor 71 and the epitaxial layer 72 is compensated for by the guard circuit-impedance convertor 90, leaving only occasional pockets of capacitance randomly spaced along the length of the resistor to be coupled to ground.

It will be appreciated that isolation ring need not fully surround resistive element 71 but may leave the low impedance end of the resistor 71 unsurrounded as in the case shown in FIG. 7. The contact 75 may therefore be placed anywhere outside the isolation ring and be provided with the appropriate back biasing potential.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for reducing the effects of parasitic capacitance associated with a resistor diffused into a semiconductive material having a lower resistivity per unit length than that of said resistor comprising in combination with said resistor:

means for generating a back-biasing potential at a point on said low resistivity material adjacent said resistor, said point being furthest removed from any portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to a high impedance node of a circuit;

means including semiconductive material of a conductivity type opposite to that of said low resistivity material, diffused into said low resistivity material in spaced adjacency to said resistor for isolating said resistor from any capacitance coupled path to ground outside of the area occupied by and surrounded by said isolating means; and means for deriving from the high impedance node of said circuit a high impedance signal and a low impedance replica of said high impedance signal, said high impedance signal being coupled directly to that portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to said high impedance node, said low impedance replica being coupled to that portion of said -low resistivity material adjacent the portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to said high impedance node, whereby parasitic capacitance associated with the low resistivity of said first mentioned material is compensated for by said means for deriving said high and low impedance signals.

2. Apparatus for reducing the effects of parasitic capacitance associated with a resistor diffused into a semiconductive material having a lower resistivity per unit length than that of said resistor comprising in combination with said resistor;

means for generating a back-biasing potential at a point on said low resistivity material adjacent said resistor, said point being furthest removed from any portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to a high impedance node of a circuit; and

means including semiconductive material of a conductivity type opposite to that of said low resistivity material, diffused into said low resistivity material in spaced adjacency to said resistor for impedance replica.'

isolating said resistor from any capacitance cou- ,3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said pled path to ground outside of the area occupied isolating means completely surrounds said resistor, by said isolating means; wherein said resistor has two ends, wherein a contact to the high impedance node of said circuit developing a 5 said low resistivity material is provided in spaced adhigh impedance signal, said circuit haying a node jacency to either end of said resistor between the ends at which is developed a l impedance li f of the resistor and said isolating means, wherein said said high impedance signal, the portion of said reg impedance Signal applied to one and of said sistor adapted to be coupled to the high impedance sistof, wherein Said 10W llnpedance replica is plf F node of said circuit adapted to be coupled to said 10 the adjacenf l Onefmd, and where"! Sald high impedance signaL'the portion of said low re- P S Potemlal l Pp q to Contact sistivity material adjacent the portion of said rel f other d 9 sald-reslstol" 531d P F Q Sister adapted to be coupled to said high being coupled to a low impedance node of said circuit.

pedance node, adapted to be coupled to said low 5

Claims

1. Apparatus for reducing the effects of parasitic capacitance associated with a resistor diffused into a semiconductive material having a lower resistivity per unit length than that of said resistor comprising in combination with said resistor: means for generating a back-biasing potential at a point on said low resistivity material adjacent said resistor, said point being furthest removed from any portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to a high impedance node of a circuit; means including semiconductive material of a conductivity type opposite to that of said low resistivity material, diffused into said low resistivity material in spaced adjacency to said resistor for isolating said resistor from any capacitance coupled path to ground outside of the area occupied by and surrounded by said isolating means; and means for deriving from the high impedance node of said circuit a high impedance signal and a low impedance replica of said high impedance signal, said high impedance signal being coupled directly to that portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to said high impedance node, said low impedance replica being coupled to that portion of said low resistivity material adjacent the portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to said high impedance node, whereby parasitic capacitance associated with the low resistivity of said first mentioned material is compensated for by said means for deriving said high and low impedance signals.

2. Apparatus for reducing the effects of parasitic capacitance associated with a resistor diffused into a Semiconductive material having a lower resistivity per unit length than that of said resistor comprising in combination with said resistor; means for generating a back-biasing potential at a point on said low resistivity material adjacent said resistor, said point being furthest removed from any portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to a high impedance node of a circuit; and means including semiconductive material of a conductivity type opposite to that of said low resistivity material, diffused into said low resistivity material in spaced adjacency to said resistor for isolating said resistor from any capacitance coupled path to ground outside of the area occupied by said isolating means; the high impedance node of said circuit developing a high impedance signal, said circuit having a node at which is developed a low impedance replica of said high impedance signal, the portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to the high impedance node of said circuit adapted to be coupled to said high impedance signal, the portion of said low resistivity material adjacent the portion of said resistor adapted to be coupled to said high impedance node, adapted to be coupled to said low impedance replica.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said isolating means completely surrounds said resistor, wherein said resistor has two ends, wherein a contact to said low resistivity material is provided in spaced adjacency to either end of said resistor between the ends of the resistor and said isolating means, wherein said high impedance signal is applied to one end of said resistor, wherein said low impedance replica is applied to the contact adjacent this one end, and wherein said back-biasing potential is applied to the contact adjacent the other end of said resistor, said other end being coupled to a low impedance node of said circuit.