Towards microscopic understanding of MOSFET reliability: the role of carrier energy and transport simulations

This paper reviews some important degradation mechanisms in MOS devices. In particular, we describe how the transition toward non-local, ballistic transport in ultrashort channels and ultra-thin oxides, which is increasingly relevant in modern devices, has made carrier energy emerge as the driving force of apparently different degradation mechanisms in the fields of hot carrier, oxide wearout and BTI (bias-temperature instability) limited reliability. The role of transport simulations in support of a better understanding of microscopic degradation mechanisms is addressed.