Strain-Induced Leakage Current in High-k Gate Oxides Simulated with First-Principles Calculation

We propose a new leakage mechanism that depends on the mechanical strain in high-k gate oxides, namely "high strain-induced leakage current". To explain this current, we analyzed the strain dependence of the leakage current of gate oxides by performing a first-principles calculation. The analysis showed that the leakage current drastically increases with tensile strain.