Unified model for n-channel hot-carrier degradation under different degradation mechanisms

The hot-carrier degradation of n-channel MOSFETs has been studied under three dominant degradation modes. The time dependence of device parameter shift under single-bias DC stressing experiments has been modeled using conventional techniques. However, these models result in incorrect prediction of the device behavior when all the three degradation modes are activated in a single device in different sequences. A novel approach to model the device degradation has been presented to account for the coupling between the degradation modes. The new coupled model predicts the time dependence of the device degradation much more accurately than the popular conventional models and is particularly suitable for use in circuit reliability simulators.