DEPENDENCE OF GATE OXIDE BREAKDOWN ON INITIAL CHARGE TRAPPING UNDER FOWLER-NORDHEIM INJECTION

This work demonstrates that for constant oxide reliability stresses in the Fowler-Nordheim regime a low initial rate of charge trapping/detr apping results in long times to breakdown. It was found for MOS gate o xides that when the initial trapping has been completed at low fields times to breakdown enhance. Depending on the stress sequence measureme nt results can vary significantly which is of great relevance for corr ect oxide lifetime predictions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.