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

Volume

40

Issue

6

fYear

1993

fDate

6/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1112

Lastpage

1120

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;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.214737

Filename

214737