NBTI: what we know and what we need to know - a tutorial addressing the current understanding and challenges for the future

In advanced CMOS technologies, the negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) phenomenon in pMOSFETs is a major reliability concern as well as a limiting factor in future device scaling. Recently, much effort has been expended to further the basic understanding of this mechanism. This tutorial gives an overview of the physics of NBTI. Discussions include such topics as the impact of NBTI on the observed changes in the device characteristics as well as the impact of gate oxide processes on the physics of NBTI. Current experimental results, exploring various NBTI effects such as frequency dependence and relaxation, are also discussed. Since some of the recent work on the various NBTI effects seems contradictory, focus is placed on highlighting our current understanding, our open questions and our future challenges.

[1]  Jason Woo,et al.  2005 SYMPOSIUM ON VLSl TECHNOLOGY Sponsored by the Japan Society of Applied Physics and the IEEE Electron Devices Society In Cooperation with the IEEE Solid-state Circuits Society , 2005 .

[2]  T. Mogami,et al.  Bias temperature instability in scaled p/sup +/ polysilicon gate p-MOSFET's , 1999 .

[3]  D. Kwong,et al.  Dynamic NBTI of p-MOS transistors and its impact on MOSFET scaling , 2002, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[4]  D. Schroder,et al.  Negative bias temperature instability: Road to cross in deep submicron silicon semiconductor manufacturing , 2003 .

[5]  Shigeo Ogawa,et al.  Interface‐trap generation at ultrathin SiO2 (4–6 nm)‐Si interfaces during negative‐bias temperature aging , 1995 .

[6]  Navakanta Bhat,et al.  Bias temperature instability in hydrogenated thin-film transistors , 1997 .

[7]  E. H. Nicollian,et al.  Mechanism of negative‐bias‐temperature instability , 1991 .

[8]  Terence B. Hook,et al.  The effects of fluorine on parametrics and reliability in a 0.18-/spl mu/m 3.5/6.8 nm dual gate oxide CMOS technology , 2001 .

[9]  H. Shibata,et al.  NBTI analysis of antenna pMOSFET with thermally recovered plasma-induced damage , 2002, 7th International Symposium on Plasma- and Process-Induced Damage.

[10]  Young Hee Kim,et al.  Bias-temperature instabilities of polysilicon gate HfO/sub 2/ MOSFETs , 2003 .

[11]  K. Jeppson,et al.  Negative bias stress of MOS devices at high electric fields and degradation of MNOS devices , 1977 .

[12]  A. S. Grove,et al.  Characteristics of the Surface‐State Charge (Qss) of Thermally Oxidized Silicon , 1967 .

[13]  S. Rauch.  The statistics of NBTI-induced V/sub T/ and /spl beta/ mismatch shifts in pMOSFETs , 2002 .