New Extensive MVHR Breakdown Models

Nowadays the SiO₂ layer thickness (tox) is 1.2 nm or less, and the reliability of such ultra-thin oxide layers has become a major concern for continued scaling. Experimental observation of the empirical power law voltage-dependence was reported on ultra-thin oxides as presented in Wu et al. (2002). We have shown that this unexpected dependence could originate from the multi-vibrational excitation of the Si-H bond as stated in Ribes et al. (2004). Based on the last "multi-vibrational hydrogen release (MVHR)" model as presented in Ribes et al. (2004), we show that the MVHR model explains also oxide thickness and temperature dependences of the time to breakdown