Hot-carrier degradation modeling using full-band Monte-Carlo simulations

We propose and verify a model for hot carrier degradation based on the exhaustive evaluation of the energy distribution function for charge carriers in the channel by means of a full-band Monte-Carlo device simulator. This approach allows us to capture the interplay between “hot” and “colder” electrons and their contribution to the damage build-up. In fact, particles characterized by higher energy are able to produce interface traps by a single-carrier process while colder ones trigger multivibrational mode excitation of a Si-H bond. For the model validation we use long-channel MOSFETs and represent the degradation of the linear drain current. The single-carrier component dominates degradation (this is the usual tendency for long devices), however, the multiple-carrier process is still considerable being less and less pronounced as the source-drain stress voltage increases.