Correlation between field dependent electrical conduction and dielectric breakdown in a SiCOH based low-k (k = 2.0) dielectric

The electrical conduction of a SiCOH based ultralow-k (k = 2.0) dielectric is investigated over an electric field range from 1.0 MV/cm to breakdown. Below 4.0 MV/cm, space-charge-limited current dominates the leakage. Above 5.0 MV/cm, a transition is found from trap-assisted Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling to F-N tunneling. It is hypothesized that under F-N tunneling stress, intrinsic material degradation causes positively charged defects generated in the dielectric. Moreover, this change of the dominant conduction path has a significant impact on the time dependent dielectric breakdown lifetime behavior.

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