Reliability of ultra-thin silicon dioxide under substrate hot-electron, substrate hot-hole and tunneling stress

Substrate hot-electron and substrate hot-hole injection experiments are use d to provide insight into defect generation and breakdown of ultra-thin sil icon dioxide under constant voltage tunneling stress. Results from substrat e hot-electron injection confirm that energetic electrons are responsible f or degradation and breakdown of ultra-thin silicon dioxide under tunneling stress conditions. Substrate hot-hole injection experiments suggest that me chanisms other than trapping of hot holes may be responsible for the break- down of ultra-thin silicon dioxide. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BY All rights reserved.