Title :
Explanation of soft and hard breakdown and its consequences for area scaling
Author :
Alam, M.A. ; Weir, B. ; Bude, J. ; Silverman, P. ; Monroe, D.
Author_Institution :
Lucent Technol., AT&T Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ, USA
Abstract :
A simple theory of soft breakdown, that can explain wide ranging experimental data, is proposed. In addition, this model identifies the appropriate conditions for which soft breakdown turns into hard breakdown and the origin of bimodal failure distribution. Connections to older theories for thicker oxides are established and consequences of the new theory for the reliability of ultra-thin gate oxides are analyzed.
Keywords :
MOS integrated circuits; failure analysis; insulating thin films; integrated circuit modelling; integrated circuit reliability; semiconductor device breakdown; MOSFET circuits; area scaling; bimodal failure distribution; hard breakdown; reliability; soft breakdown; ultra-thin gate oxides; Breakdown voltage; Capacitors; Circuit testing; Dielectric breakdown; Electric breakdown; Equivalent circuits; Spine; Stress; Thermal resistance; Tunneling;
Conference_Titel :
Electron Devices Meeting, 1999. IEDM '99. Technical Digest. International
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5410-9
DOI :
10.1109/IEDM.1999.824190
