Method, apparatus, and system for metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a field-effect transistor (FET) comprising a gate disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a source disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, and a drain disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate, the source, and the drain extend parallel to each other in a first horizontal direction;

at least one source electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit comprising a source contact disposed on the source at a first location, and a first source ballasting resistor, wherein said source ballasting resistor comprises a first source conductive element disposed on the source contact and extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between a position above the first location and a position above a second location, wherein the second location is on the drain;

a source terminal disposed above and in electrical contact with the first source ballasting resistor, wherein the source terminal extends in the first direction;

at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprising a first drain ballasting resistor; and

a drain terminal disposed above and in electrical contact with the first drain ballasting resistor, wherein the drain terminal extends in the first horizontal direction.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first source ballasting resistor further comprises a first source via disposed on the first source conductive element at a position above the second location; and

wherein the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises:

a drain contact disposed on the drain at a third location, wherein the third location and the second location are at different positions in the first direction;

wherein the first drain ballasting resistor comprises a first drain conductive element and a first drain via, wherein the first drain conductive element is disposed on the drain contact and extends in the second direction between a position above the third location and a position above a fourth location, wherein the fourth location is on the source and the first location and the fourth location are at different positions in the first direction, and the first drain via is disposed on the first drain conductive element at a position above the fourth location.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises at least one additional source ballasting resistor disposed vertically above the first source ballasting resistor, wherein all the source ballasting resistors of the source ESD protection circuit comprise a vertical meander; and

the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises at least one additional drain ballasting resistor disposed vertically above the first drain ballasting resistor, wherein all the drain ballasting resistors of the drain ESD protection circuit comprise a vertical meander.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises at least three source ballasting resistors, and the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises at least three drain ballasting resistors.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises at least two source ESD protection circuits and at least two drain ESD protection circuits.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the source and the drain comprises silicide.

7. A method, comprising:

forming a field-effect transistor (FET) comprising a gate disposed on a semiconductor substrate, a source disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, and a drain disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate, the source, and the drain extend parallel to each other in a first horizontal direction;

forming a source contact on the source at a first location and a drain contact on the drain at a second location;

forming at least one source electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit, comprising forming a first source ballasting resistor comprising a first source conductive element disposed on the source contact and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a position above the first location and a position above a third location, wherein the third location is on the drain;

forming at least one drain ESD protection circuit; and

forming a source terminal above and in electrical contact with the at least one source ESD protection circuit and a drain terminal above and in electrical contact with the at least one drain ESD protection circuit, wherein the source terminal and the drain terminal extend in the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises forming a first source via on the first source conductive element at a position above the third location, wherein the third location and the second location are at different positions in the first direction; and

forming the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises forming a first drain ballasting resistor comprising a first drain conductive element and a first drain via, wherein the first drain conductive element is disposed on the drain contact and extends in the second direction between a position above the second location and a position above a fourth location, wherein the fourth location is on the source and the first location and the fourth location are at different positions in the first direction, and the first drain via is disposed on the first drain conductive element at a position above the fourth location.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the FET comprises at least one of siliciding the source or siliciding the drain.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the FET comprises both siliciding the source and siliciding the drain.

11. A system, comprising:

a process controller, configured to provide an instruction set for manufacture of a semiconductor device to a manufacturing system; and

the manufacturing system, configured to manufacture the semiconductor device according to the instruction set;

wherein the instruction set comprises instructions to:

form a field-effect transistor (FET) comprising a gate disposed on a semiconductor substrate, a source disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, and a drain disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate, the source, and the drain extend parallel to each other in a first horizontal direction;

form a source contact on the source at a first location and a drain contact on the drain at a second location;

form at least one source electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit comprising a first source ballasting resistor, wherein said source ballasting resistor comprises a first source conductive element disposed on the source contact and extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between a position above the first location and a position above a third location, wherein the third location is on the drain;

form at least one drain ESD protection circuit; and

form a source terminal above and in electrical contact with the at least one source ESD protection circuit and a drain terminal above and in electrical contact with the at least one drain ESD protection circuit, wherein the source terminal and the drain terminal extend in the first horizontal direction.

12. The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the instructions to form the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprise instructions to form a first source via on the first source conductive element at a position above the third location, wherein the third location and the second location are at different positions in the first direction; and

wherein the instructions to form the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprise instructions to form a first drain ballasting resistor comprising a first drain conductive element and a first drain via, wherein the first drain conductive element is disposed on the drain contact and extends in the second direction between a position above the second location and a position above a fourth location, wherein the fourth location is on the source and the first location and the fourth location are at different positions in the first direction, and the first drain via is disposed on the first drain conductive element at a position above the fourth location.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to form the FET comprise instructions to silicide the source, silicide the drain, or silicide both the source and the drain.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to form the FET comprise instructions to silicide both the source and the drain.

15. The system of 11 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises:

a semiconductor substrate;

a field-effect transistor (FET) comprising a gate disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a source disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, and a drain disposed on or in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate, the source, and the drain extend parallel to each other in a first direction;

at least one source electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit;

a source terminal disposed above an in electrical contact with the first source ballasting resistor, wherein the source terminal extends in the first direction;

at least one drain ESD protection circuit; and

a drain terminal disposed above and in electrical contact with the first drain ballasting resistor, wherein the drain terminal extends in the first direction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises:

a source contact disposed on the source at a first location; and

a first source via, wherein the first source conductive element is disposed on the source contact and extends in the second direction between a position above the first location and a position above a second location, wherein the second location is on the drain, and the first source via is disposed on the first source conductive element at a position above the second location; and

wherein the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises:

a drain contact disposed on the drain at a third location, wherein the third location and the second location are at different positions in the first direction; and a first drain ballasting resistor comprising a first drain conductive element and a first drain via, wherein the first drain conductive element is disposed on the drain contact and extends in the second direction between a position above the third location and a position above a fourth location, wherein the fourth location is on the source and the first location and the fourth location are at different positions in the first direction, and the first drain via is disposed on the first drain conductive element at a position above the fourth location.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises at least one additional source ballasting resistor disposed vertically above the first source ballasting resistor, wherein all the source ballasting resistors of the source ESD protection circuit comprise a vertical meander; and

the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises at least one additional drain ballasting resistor disposed vertically above the first drain ballasting resistor, wherein all the drain ballasting resistors of the drain ESD protection circuit comprise a vertical meander.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one source ESD protection circuit comprises at least three source ballasting resistors, and the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises at least three drain ballasting resistors.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises at least two source ESD protection circuits, and the at least one drain ESD protection circuit comprises at least two drain ESD protection circuits.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the source and the drain comprises silicide.