Gate oxide reliability parameters in the range 1.6 to 10 nm

Abstract

In this study gate oxide reliability data collected over a considerable period of time are used to asses the voltage acceleration and the time to breakdown as function of oxide thickness ranging from 1.6 to 10nm. It is shown that the data form well defined bands for each of the voltage acceleration models. The dependence on oxide thickness depends strongly on the voltage acceleration model applied. The accuracy of the determined voltage acceleration parameters for the different models is compared. The use of a model free value, the voltage to get 63.2% breakdown at a certain fixed time, is proposed for plotting the data taken in a wide range of oxide thickness, instead of normalizing the time to breakdown to a certain voltage using one of the acceleration models. The result can be used for self consistent test of voltage acceleration models. Plotting the voltage acceleration parameter of the exp(V)-model versus the inverse model-free gate voltage to get 63.2% breakdown at a fixed time supports the power law and therefore the hydrogen release model.