CHARACTERIZATION OF TIME-DEPENDENT DIELECTRIC-BREAKDOWN IN INTRINSIC THIN SIO2

Time-dependent dielectric breakdown data collected from 6.5-, 9-, 15-, 20- and 22.5-nm-thick SiO2 films are presented. The failure distribut ions are of single mode with no apparent extrinsic population. The log arithm of the median-test-time-to failure, log(t(50)), is described by a linear electric field dependence. Contrary to reports in earlier st udies, the field acceleration parameter is observed to be insensitive to temperature and has a value of approximately 1.0 decade MV(-1) cm(- 1) for the range of oxide thicknesses studied. Capacitance-voltage stu dies indicate chat there is no strong correlation between oxide trappe d charges and time to failure under constant voltage stress conditions . Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.