Title :
Mechanisms for hot-carrier-induced degradation in reoxidized-nitrided-oxide n-MOSFET´s under combined AC/DC stressing
Author :
Ma, Zhi-Jian ; Lai, P.T. ; Liu, Zhi Hong ; Ko, Ping K. ; Cheng, Yiu Chung
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. Eng., Hong Kong Univ., Hong Kong
fDate :
6/1/1993 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Hot-carrier-induced degradation behavior of reoxidized-nitrided-oxide (RNO) n-MOSFETs under combined AC/DC stressing was extensively studied and compared with conventional-oxide (OX) MOSFETs. A degradation mechanism is proposed in which trapped holes in stressed gate oxide are neutralized by an ensuing hot-electron injection, leaving lots of neutral electron traps in the gate oxide, with no significant generation of interface states. The degradation behavior of threshold voltage, subthreshold gate-voltage swing, and charge-pumping current during a series of AC/DC stressing supports this proposed mechanism. RNO device degradation during AC stressing arises mainly from the charge trapping in gate oxide rather than the generation of interface states due to the hardening of the Si-SiO2 interface by nitridation/reoxidation steps
Keywords :
electron traps; electron-hole recombination; hole traps; hot carriers; insulated gate field effect transistors; interface electron states; nitridation; oxidation; semiconductor device testing; RNO device degradation; Si-SiO2 interface; charge-pumping current; combined AC/DC stressing; hot-carrier-induced degradation; hot-electron injection; interface states; nMOSFET; neutral electron traps; reoxidized-nitrided-oxide; stressed gate oxide; subthreshold gate-voltage swing; threshold voltage; trapped holes; Charge carrier processes; Computer science; Degradation; Electron traps; Hot carriers; Interface states; MOS devices; MOSFET circuits; Stress; Voltage;
Journal_Title :
Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on
