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A molecular physics-based complementary model, which includes both field and current, is introduced to help resolve the E versus 1/E-model controversy that has existed for many years as to the true physics behind time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB). It is shown here that either TDDB model can be valid for certain specified field, temperature, and molecular bonding-energy ranges. For bond strengths <3 eV, the bond breakage rate is generally dominated by field-enhanced thermal processes and the E model is valid. For bond strengths >3 eV, the bond breakage must be hole catalyzed by current-induced hole injection and capture. Under these conditions, the TDDB physics is described well by the 1/E model.

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SiO 2 films, at constant electric field, show a significant reduction in time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) performance when the thickness t ox is scaled below 4.0 nm. This reduction in TDDB performance is coincident with and scales with the increase in direct tunnelling (DT) leakage through these hyper-thin oxide films. Assuming that the increase in DT leakage leads to more hole injection and trapping in the SiO 2 , the enhanced dielectric degradation rate with t ox reduction can be explained on the basis of an intrinsic molecular model where hole capture serves to catalyze Si-O bond breakage.

No abstract