1/f noise of short-channel indium tin oxide transistors under stress

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the reliability and stability of short-channel indium tin oxide (ITO) field-effect transistors through 1/f noise characterization at elevated temperature with positive bias temperature instability (PBTI). The 1/f noise behavior of a short-channel 60-nm-long channel ITO transistor can be described by the carrier number fluctuation model, suggesting that carrier trapping and de-trapping by trap states within the 5 nm thin high-κ HfLaO dielectric are the dominant mechanisms affecting 1/f noise. Small positive threshold voltage shifts of 0.042 and 0.057 V after PBTI measurements of 3000 s at 25 and 85 °C have been obtained, respectively. The higher gate leakage current at elevated temperature leads to an earlier breakdown in the time-dependent dielectric breakdown measurement. Furthermore, 1/f noise after PBTI has also been carried out at elevated temperature, and the degradations after stress can also be attributed to the stress induced traps inside the gate dielectric.