CORRELATION BETWEEN 2 DIELECTRIC-BREAKDOWN MECHANISMS IN ULTRA-THIN GATE OXIDES

The origin of stressing polarity dependence of charge-to-breakdown, Q( bd), in thin SiO2 is discussed based on the temperature dependence of Q(bd) for both stressing polarities using wet and dry oxides. It was f ound that the temperature dependence of Q(bd), which increases with de creasing temperature in the high temperature region and tends to satur ate in the low temperature region, is identical irrespective of the st ressing polarity and the oxidation condition. It has been proposed tha t the strain gradient from Si/SiO2 interface to SiO2/gate electrode in terface determines directly both the Si-H bond density which dominates Q(bd) in high temperature region and the strained Si-O bond density w hich dominates Q(bd) in the low temperature region, irrespective of ga te polarity and of oxidation condition. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.