NBTI degradation: From physical mechanisms to modelling

An overview of the evolution of transistor parameters under negative bias temperature instability stress conditions commonly observed in p-MOSFETs in recent technologies is presented. The physical mechanisms of the degradation as well as the different defects involved have been discussed according to a systematic set of experiments with different stress conditions. According to our findings, a physical model is proposed which could be used to more accurately predict the transistor degradation. Finally, based on our new present understanding, a new characterization methodology is proposed, which would open the way to a more accurate determination of parameter shifts and thus allowing implementing the degradation into design rules.

[1]  E. Poindexter,et al.  Characterization of Si/SiO2 interface defects by electron spin resonance , 1983 .

[2]  peixiong zhao,et al.  Reactions of hydrogen with Si-SiO/sub 2/ interfaces , 2000 .

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

[4]  D. Frohman-Bentchkowsky.  A fully decoded 2048-bit electrically programmable FAMOS read-only memory , 1971 .

[5]  D. Arnold,et al.  Impact ionization, trap creation, degradation, and breakdown in silicon dioxide films on silicon , 1993 .

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

[7]  J. Autran,et al.  Interfacial hardness enhancement in deuterium annealed 0.25 μm channel metal oxide semiconductor transistors , 1997 .

[8]  Chenming Hu,et al.  Metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect‐transistor substrate current during Fowler–Nordheim tunneling stress and silicon dioxide reliability , 1994 .

[9]  Eiichi Murakami,et al.  Effect of nitrogen at SiO2/Si interface on reliability issues—negative-bias-temperature instability and Fowler–Nordheim-stress degradation , 2002 .

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

[11]  A. Stesmans.  Dissociation kinetics of hydrogen-passivated Pb defects at the (111)Si/SiO2 interface , 2000 .

[12]  Eric M. Vogel,et al.  Defect generation and breakdown of ultrathin silicon dioxide induced by substrate hot-hole injection , 2001 .

[13]  J. Babcock,et al.  Dynamic recovery of negative bias temperature instability in p-type metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors , 2003 .

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

[15]  Y. Nissan-Cohen,et al.  Trap generation and occupation dynamics in SiO2 under charge injection stress , 1986 .

[16]  Luca Selmi,et al.  On interface and oxide degradation in VLSI MOSFETs. II. Fowler-Nordheim stress regime , 2002 .