Patent ID: 8440522

Claim:
A method for increasing an electrical resistance of a resistor, comprising the steps of: immersing a semiconductor structure in a chemical solution under pressurization such that a fraction F of an exterior surface of a surface layer of the resistor is immersed in the chemical solution under said pressurization, wherein the chemical solution under said pressurization includes oxygen particles in an oxygen-comprising gas dissolved in the chemical solution under said pressurization, and wherein the semiconductor structure includes the resistor; exposing the fraction F of the exterior surface of the surface layer of the resistor to the oxygen particles dissolved in the chemical solution under said pressurization; and oxidizing a portion of the surface layer of the resistor by chemically reacting the oxygen particles dissolved in the chemical solution under said pressurization with the portion of the surface layer during said exposing in a chemical reaction between the oxygen particles and the portion of the surface layer such that an electrical resistance of the resistor is increased, wherein said oxidized portion consists essentially of the exposed fraction F of the exterior surface of the surface layer, wherein F <1, and wherein a catalyst in the chemical solution under said pressurization accelerates the chemical reaction.