Title :
The effect of surface roughness of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films on TDDB characteristics of ONO films
Author :
Tanaka, Hiroyuki ; Uchida, Hidetsugu ; Hirashita, Norio ; Ajioka, Tsuneo
Author_Institution :
Oki Electric Ind. Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
fDate :
March 31 1992-April 2 1992
Abstract :
The surface roughness of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films was found to become higher and to cause degradation of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) characteristics of ONO films with increasing deposition temperature of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films. A local thinning of ONO films, evaluated from the TDDB characteristics, agreed with the surface roughness measured by the atomic force microscope (AFM) and the cross-sectional transmission electron microscope. The dependence of the time to breakdown of ONO films on the deposition temperature was interpreted by electric field intensification due to the surface roughness of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films.<>
Keywords :
atomic force microscopy; dielectric thin films; electric breakdown of solids; semiconductor-insulator boundaries; silicon compounds; surface topography; transmission electron microscope examination of materials; ONO films; Si-Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/-Si; Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films; SiO/sub 2/-Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/-SiO/sub 2/; TDDB characteristics; atomic force microscope; cross-sectional transmission electron microscope; deposition temperature; electric field intensification; local thinning; polysilicon gate capacitors; surface roughness; time-dependent dielectric breakdown; Atomic force microscopy; Atomic measurements; Degradation; Dielectric breakdown; Force measurement; Rough surfaces; Semiconductor films; Surface roughness; Temperature; Transmission electron microscopy;
Conference_Titel :
Reliability Physics Symposium 1992. 30th Annual Proceedings., International
Conference_Location :
San Diego, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-0473-X
DOI :
10.1109/RELPHY.1992.187619
