Re-investigation of hydrogen-related defect generation in gate dielectric interface and bulk

Issues concerning the reliability of ultra-thin gate dielectrics constitute one of the most serious challenges in the scaling of ULSI devices. In order to realize highly reliable gate dielectrics, the elimination of defect generati on at the interface and in the bulk are indispensable. However, the origin of the defects and their generation processes are still controversial. One of the generally accepted models is that hydrogen, which is released from the interface during electrical stressing, strongly relates to the deterioration of the gate dielectrics. For example, the hydrogen release processes in NBTI, CHC, and TDDB are well-known. In this study, we re-investigate and discuss the relationship between hydrogen and defect generation in both the interface and bulk of typical SiO2 systems from both experimental and calculation points of view. And, we further discuss the hydrogen-related degradation in High-k gate dielectrics.