Characterization of interface defects related to negative-bias temperature instability in ultrathin plasma-nitrided SiON/Si<1 0 0> systems

Abstract Interface defects related to negative-bias temperature instability (NBTI) in an ultrathin plasma-nitrided SiON/Si〈1 0 0〉 system were characterized by using conductance–frequency measurements, electron-spin resonance measurements, and synchrotron radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was confirmed that NBTI is reduced by using D 2 -annealing instead of the usual H 2 -annealing. Interfacial Si dangling bonds (P b1 and P b0 centers) were detected in a sample subjected to negative-bias temperature stress (NBTS). Although we suggest that NBTS also generates non-P b defects, it does not seem to generate nitrogen dangling bonds. These results show that NBTI of the plasma-nitrided SiON/Si system is predominantly due to P b depassivation. Plasma nitridation was also found to increase the P b1 /P b0 density ratio, modify the P b1 defect structure, and increase the latent interface trap density by generating Si suboxides at the interface. These changes are likely to be the causes of NBTI in ultrathin plasma-nitrided SiON/Si systems.

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