Quantifying Region-Specific Hot Carrier Degradation in LDMOS Transistors Using a Novel Charge Pumping Technique

Since the 1970s, LDMOS transistors have been used in a variety of applications because of their versatility and monolithic integration with CMOS logic. Despite the advantages, interface defects (NIT) generation due to Hot Carrier Degradation (HCD) has been a persistent reliability challenge for LDMOS transistors. Unfortunately, neither classical charge pumping nor single-pulse charge pumping techniques can be used to locate/quantify NITin a source-body-tied LDMOS configuration. Here we: i) identify the multiple hotspots of HCD in an LDMOS using experimentally validated TCAD simulations; ii) introduce and implement a TCAD-enabled novel charge pumping technique to probe region-specific interface states in a source-body-tied (SBT) LDMOS; and iii) develop a unified multi-hotspot HCD model to interpret the degradation kinetics in power transistors. The analysis provides deep insights into the HCD in an LDMOS and the generalized charge pumping technique can be used to map interface states in a variety of transistors with non-traditional doping and contact configurations.

[1]  P. Ye,et al.  Single Pulse Charge Pumping Measurements on GaN MOS-HEMTs: Fast and Reliable Extraction of Interface Traps Density , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[2]  A. Tallarico,et al.  Hot-Carrier Degradation in Power LDMOS: Drain Bias Dependence and Lifetime Evaluation , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[3]  J. Brugler,et al.  Charge pumping in MOS devices , 1969 .

[4]  E. H. Nicollian,et al.  Improved MOS capacitor measurements using the Q-C method , 1984 .

[5]  An Hoang-Thuy Nguyen,et al.  Application of Single-Pulse Charge Pumping Method on Evaluation of Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistors , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[6]  J. Kavalieros,et al.  Direct-current measurements of oxide and interface traps on oxidized silicon , 1995 .

[7]  A. Gnudi,et al.  TCAD Simulation of Hot-Carrier and Thermal Degradation in STI-LDMOS Transistors , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[8]  Chenming Hu,et al.  Hot-Electron-Induced MOSFET Degradation - Model, Monitor, and Improvement , 1985, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[9]  Enrico Sangiorgi,et al.  Investigation of the hot carrier degradation in power LDMOS transistors with customized thick oxide , 2017, Microelectron. Reliab..

[10]  Zhigang Ji,et al.  A Single Pulse Charge Pumping Technique for Fast Measurements of Interface States , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[11]  N. Fang,et al.  Direct observation of electron capture and emission processes by the time domain charge pumping measurement of MoS2 FET , 2018, Applied Physics Letters.

[12]  Yen-Pu Chen,et al.  A Novel ‘I-V Spectroscopy’ Technique to Deconvolve Threshold Voltage and Mobility Degradation in LDMOS Transistors , 2020, 2020 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).

[13]  A. Tallarico,et al.  Hot-Carrier Degradation in Power LDMOS: Selective LOCOS- Versus STI-Based Architecture , 2018, IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society.

[14]  Weifeng Sun,et al.  A Review on Hot-Carrier-Induced Degradation of Lateral DMOS Transistor , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability.

[15]  Juin J. Liou,et al.  A review of recent MOSFET threshold voltage extraction methods , 2002, Microelectron. Reliab..

[16]  P. Moens,et al.  Two-stage Hot Carrier Degradation of LDMOS Transistors. , 2005, Proceedings. ISPSD '05. The 17th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs, 2005..

[17]  M. Alam,et al.  A Device-to-System Perspective Regarding Self-Heating Enhanced Hot Carrier Degradation in Modern Field-Effect Transistors: A Topical Review , 2019, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.