Identification of the atomic-scale defects involved in the negative bias temperature instability in plasma-nitrided p-channel metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors

We utilize a combination of DC gate-controlled diode recombination current measurements as well as two very sensitive electrically detected magnetic resonance techniques, spin-dependent recombination and spin-dependent tunneling, to identify atomic-scale defects involved in the negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) in 2.3nm plasma-nitrided SiO2-based p-channel metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors. We demonstrate that the dominating NBTI-induced defect in the plasma-nitrided devices is fundamentally different than those observed in pure SiO2-based devices. (In pure SiO2 devices, we observe NBTI-induced Pb0 and Pb1 defects.) Our measurements indicate that the NBTI-induced defect in the plasma-nitrided devices extends into the gate dielectric. The defect participates in both spin-dependent recombination and spin-dependent tunneling. The defect also has a density of states which is more narrowly peaked than that of Pb centers near the middle of the band gap. The high sensitivity of our spin-dep...

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