Sensitivity and limitations of plasma charging damage measurements using MOS capacitors structures

This work investigates the sensitivity and limitation of capacitor testing for measuring potential charging damage to gate oxides after a given plasma step. Ramp breakdown measurements are quick and easy to automate but lack sensitivity. Accelerated charge-to-breakdown measurements offers better sensitivity but with long measurement times. V-t measurements using the slope dV/dt after initial charging are found to be very sensitive to charge damage. The damage sensitivity of this method is high and involves tradeoffs between antenna ratio, testing current and testing time. All of which are critical to damage testing. Leakage measurements offers short measurement times and high sensitivity but are limited by the noise level of the measurement system and by the need to make good probe contact to the gate material.