The application of a direct parameter extraction strategy to hot-carrier reliability simulation of n-channel LDD MOSFETs

The application of a direct parameter extraction technique to LDD n-channel MOSFET hot-carrier reliability simulation is presented in this paper. The use of direct extraction procedures allows a very fast extraction of circuit reliability parameters, with a minimum of measurements. This is an important consideration in relation to accelerated hot-carrier reliability testing, since it is highly desirable to minimise the duration of the interruptions to stressing conditions for the measurement of device characteristics. The parameters extracted are physically relevant, which is important when considering the physical nature of the hot-carrier degradation mechanisms. The more common commercial reliability simulators available in the industrial market, such as the BERT reliability simulator, generate predicted parameter sets after selected durations of device operation by extrapolation (or interpolation) between measured parameter sets extracted at intervals during a constant-bias stress. The work we are presenting suggests that confidence in the predicted circuit performance is dependent on very careful choice of both the parameter sets supplied to the reliability simulator, and the applied stressing conditions