Detecting breakdown in ultra-thin dielectrics using a fast voltage ramp

Abstract-The present understanding of wear-out and breakdown in ultrathin ( 5 0 nm) SiO 2 gate dielectric films and issues relating to reliability projection are reviewed in this article. Recent evidence supporting a voltage-driven model for defect generation and breakdown, where energetic tunneling electrons induce defect generation and breakdown will be discussed. The concept of a critical number of defects required to cause breakdown and percolation theory will be used to describe the observed statistical failure distributions for ultrathin gate dielectric breakdown. Recent observations of a voltage dependent voltage acceleration parameter and non-Arrhenius temperature dependence will be presented. The current understanding of soft breakdown will be discussed and proposed techniques for detecting breakdown presented. Finally, the implications of soft breakdown on circuit functionality and the applicability of applying current reliability characterization and analysis techniques to project the reliability of future alternative gate dielectrics will be discussed.

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“…used [103]- [105]. The process of periodically interrupting stress did not effect the failure time of the devices [103], [104].…”

Section: B Soft-breakdown Detection Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrathin gate oxide reliability: physical models, statistics, and characterization

Suehle

2002

IEEE Trans. Electron Devices

145

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“…Preirradiation electrical testing of the capacitors included capacitance-voltage measurements, charge to breakdown ( ) measurements using the linear voltage stressing technique [16], voltage to breakdown using the fast voltage sweep method of [17], and capacitance-based EOT extraction.…”

Section: Test Structures and Experimental Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy-ion-induced breakdown in ultra-thin gate oxides and high-k dielectrics

Massengill

Choi

Fleetwood

et al. 2001

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

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We present experimental results on single-event-induced breakdown in sub-5-nm plasma-enhanced SiO 2 , nitrided SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , and Zr 0 4 Si 1 6 O 4 dielectrics typical of current and future-generation commercial gate oxides. These advanced oxides are found to be quite resistant to ion-induced breakdown. Radiation-induced soft breakdown was observed in some films with 342 MeV Au (LET = 80 MeV/mg/cm 2) but not 340 MeV I (LET = 60 MeV/mg/cm 2). The critical voltage to hard breakdown was found to scale with the square root of the physical oxide thickness, not with the energy stored on the gate capacitance. Alternative dielectrics with equivalent oxide thickness substantially below their physical thickness were found to exhibit significantly higher voltage to hard breakdown than SiO 2 counterparts. All of the samples reached ion-induced hard breakdown at applied voltages well above typical operating power-supply voltages; these findings bode well for the use of advanced commercial integrated circuits in space systems.

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“…Here we report measurement and statistical analysis of the threshold voltage for irreversible dielectric breakdown in SAND metal−insulator−semiconductor (MIS) devices, both before and after thermal annealing, using Weibull analysis . It will be seen that the distribution of breakdown voltages is well-described by a two-parameter Weibull distribution with a Weibull slope comparable to that of conventional inorganic dielectrics having a similar thickness [β ≈ 3−6 for 5.5-nm SiO 2 ], − and that thermal annealing dramatically improves the uniformity of the breakdown distribution. The physical parameters and processes associated with SAND dielectric breakdown are considered in the context of the Weibull analysis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

Weibull Analysis of Dielectric Breakdown in a Self-Assembled Nanodielectric for Organic Transistors

Schlitz¹,

Yoon²,

Fredin³

et al. 2010

J. Phys. Chem. Lett.

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The effect of thermal annealing on leakage current and dielectric breakdown in self-assembled nanodielectric (SAND) metal−insulator−semiconductor (MIS) devices is investigated. Annealing at temperatures of ≥300 °C for 120 s in a reducing atmosphere significantly reduces the leakage current density at typical operating voltages (V g = 3 V) while greatly narrowing the distribution of breakdown voltages. The threshold breakdown voltage is characterized by a Weibull distribution of slope β ≈ 4.5 prior to thermal annealing, and by β ≥ 12 post annealing. A comparison of the breakdown characteristics of conventional inorganic dielectrics with those of SAND demonstrates that self-assembly is a viable approach to fabricating highly reliable dielectric materials for unconventional electronics.

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Detecting breakdown in ultra-thin dielectrics using a fast voltage ramp

Cited by 18 publications

References 12 publications

Ultrathin gate oxide reliability: physical models, statistics, and characterization

Ultrathin gate oxide reliability: physical models, statistics, and characterization

Heavy-ion-induced breakdown in ultra-thin gate oxides and high-k dielectrics

Weibull Analysis of Dielectric Breakdown in a Self-Assembled Nanodielectric for Organic Transistors

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