AC TDDB extensive study for an enlargement of its impact and benefit on circuit lifetime assessment

With technology scaling and hardening of operating conditions requirements, Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) remains a major reliability concern. In this paper, considering AC rather than DC TDDB is shown to be a promising way to generate margin on lifetime assessment and also to minimize the predicted impact of breakdown on circuits functionality. In fact, it is evidenced that, for both NMOS and PMOSfets, and for both High-K/Metal Gate and SiO(N)/Poly technologies, increasing frequency delays breakdown occurrence, extends its progressivity and lowers its hardness.

[1]  Xu Yefeng,et al.  TDDB characteristic and breakdown mechanism of ultra-thin SiO2/HfO2 bilayer gate dielectrics , 2014 .

[2]  New insight on high-k/metal gate reliability modeling for providing guidelines for process development , 2013, 2013 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).

[3]  X. Garros,et al.  Impact of gate impedance on dielectric breakdown evaluation for 28nm FDSOI transistors , 2017 .

[4]  M. Alam,et al.  A Comparative Study of Different Physics-Based NBTI Models , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[5]  L. Larcher,et al.  Mechanism of high-k dielectric-induced breakdown of the interfacial SiO2 layer , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[6]  M. Rafik,et al.  Physical understanding of low frequency degradation of NMOS TDDB in High-k metal gate stack-based technology. Implication on lifetime assessment , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[7]  T. Nigam,et al.  Impact of charge trapping on the voltage acceleration of TDDB in metal gate/high-k n-channel MOSFETs , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[8]  T. Nigam,et al.  Impact of AC voltage stress on core NMOSFETs TDDB in FinFET and planar technologies , 2017, 2017 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).

[9]  G. Ghibaudo,et al.  Frequency dependence of TDDB & PBTI with OTF monitoring methodology in high-k/metal gate stacks , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[10]  C. Tsai,et al.  Transistor reliability characterization and comparisons for a 14 nm tri-gate technology optimized for System-on-Chip and foundry platforms , 2016, 2016 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).

[11]  Andreas Kerber,et al.  Stress-induced leakage current and defect generation in nFETs with HfO2/TiN gate stacks during positive-bias temperature stress , 2009, 2009 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[12]  E. Wu,et al.  Recent advances in dielectric breakdown of modern gate dielectrics , 2013, 2013 IEEE International Integrated Reliability Workshop Final Report.

[13]  W. Wang,et al.  Re-investigation of frequency dependence of PBTI/TDDB and its impact on fast switching logic circuits , 2013, 2013 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).

[14]  G. Ghibaudo,et al.  New insight on the frequency dependence of TDDB in high-k/metal gate stacks , 2013, IEEE International Integrated Reliability Workshop Final Report.

[15]  Hyunjin Kim,et al.  Frequency dependent TDDB behaviors and its reliability qualification in 32nm high-k/metal gate CMOSFETs , 2011, 2011 International Reliability Physics Symposium.

[16]  S. Slesazeck,et al.  Influence of Frequency Dependent Time to Breakdown on High-K/Metal Gate Reliability , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.