High-κ dielectric breakdown in nanoscale logic devices – Scientific insight and technology impact

Raghavan, Nagarajan; Pey, K. L.; Shubhakar, K.

doi:10.1016/j.microrel.2014.02.013

Cited by 40 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Direct imaging of DB in VCM has the potential to reveal critical details about the switching mechanisms, but visualizing a dynamic and fundamentally electronic process occurring inside a bulk solid is extremely challenging. [ 5 ] DB has been imaged using scanning probe microscopy (SPM), [ 17–21 ] scanning electron microscopy (SEM), [ 22–24 ] X‐rays, [ 25,26 ] and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). [ 12,14,20,22,27–31 ] Standard SPM, SEM, X‐ray, and TEM imaging are sensitive to physical structure: the arrangement of atoms, [ 22,24,27 ] and perhaps their chemical identities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Hubbard

Lodico

Chan

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dielectric breakdown (DB) controls the failure, and increasingly the function, of microelectronic devices. Standard imaging techniques, which generate contrast based on physical structure, struggle to visualize this electronic process. Here in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) electron beam‐induced current (EBIC) imaging of DB in Pt/HfO2/Ti valence change memory devices is reported. STEM EBIC imaging directly visualizes the electronic signatures of DB, namely local changes in the conductivity and in the electric field, with high spatial resolution and good contrast. DB is observed to proceed through two distinct structures arranged in series: a volatile, “soft” filament created by electron injection; and a non‐volatile, “hard” filament created by oxygen‐vacancy aggregation. This picture makes a physical distinction between “soft” and “hard” DB, while at the same time accommodating “progressive” DB, where the relative lengths of the hard and soft filaments can change on a continuum.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Hubbard

Lodico

Chan

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has been well established that degradation of dielectric properties and time-dependent dielectric breakdown of gate oxides, such as SiO 2 and HfO 2 , under bias stress are directly related to defect generation processes in the oxide layer [1][2][3][4]. More recently, these processes were reviewed in, e.g., [5,6]; however, the nature of defects and the mechanisms of their creation are still poorly understood. Strong evidence exists that electron and hole injection as well as hydrogen interdiffusion from the top electrode can be involved in the degradation mechanism [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of electric field on defect generation and migration in HfO2

Strand

Cottom

Larcher³

et al. 2020

Phys. Rev. B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the effect of electric fields on defect creation and diffusion in metal oxides is of fundamental importance for developing accurate models of oxide degradation in electronic devices and dielectric breakdown. We use the Berry phase operator method within density functional theory to calculate how an applied electric field affects barriers for the creation of oxygen vacancy-interstitial defect pairs (DPs) and diffusion of interstitial O ions in monoclinic (m-)HfO 2. The results demonstrate that even close to breakdown fields, barriers for DP generation exceed 6 eV in the perfect m-HfO 2 lattice. Simulated injection of extra electrons from electrodes significantly lowers barriers for the creation of DPs, which are further reduced by the field to around 1 eV. Thus, bias application facilitates the injection of electrons into the oxide; these extra electrons reduce energy barriers for the creation of O vacancies, and these barriers as well as those for O ion diffusion are further lowered by the field. We find that, within a linear regime, the electric field modulates the barrier height by a dot product between the electric field and the electric dipole at the zero-field transition state to good accuracy.

show abstract

“…s the scaling of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices requires the increase in gate capacitance for better channel control, while maintaining low leakage current, high-k gate dielectric material has been employed to replace SiO2 for nanoscale CMOS device applications [1][2][3]. Because of its relative high band gap and compatibility in contact with channel region, HfO2 has been considered as a promising candidate for high-k gate dielectrics in CMOS technology [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total Dose Effects and Bias Instabilities of (NH₄)₂S Passivated Ge MOS Capacitors With Hf_{<italic>x</italic>}Zr_{1–<italic>x</italic>}O_{<italic>y</italic>}Thin Films

Fang

Zhao

et al. 2017

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

High-κ dielectric breakdown in nanoscale logic devices – Scientific insight and technology impact

Cited by 40 publications

References 53 publications

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Effect of electric field on defect generation and migration in HfO2

Total Dose Effects and Bias Instabilities of (NH₄)₂S Passivated Ge MOS Capacitors With Hf_{<italic>x</italic>}Zr_{1–<italic>x</italic>}O_{<italic>y</italic>}Thin Films

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

High-κ dielectric breakdown in nanoscale logic devices – Scientific insight and technology impact

Cited by 40 publications

References 53 publications

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Imaging Dielectric Breakdown in Valence Change Memory

Effect of electric field on defect generation and migration in HfO2

Total Dose Effects and Bias Instabilities of (NH4)2S Passivated Ge MOS Capacitors With Hf<italic>x</italic>Zr1–<italic>x</italic>O<italic>y</italic>Thin Films

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Total Dose Effects and Bias Instabilities of (NH₄)₂S Passivated Ge MOS Capacitors With Hf_{<italic>x</italic>}Zr_{1–<italic>x</italic>}O_{<italic>y</italic>}Thin Films