Title :
Effects of growth temperature on TDDB characteristics of N/sub 2/O-grown oxides
Author :
Yoon, G.W. ; Joshi, A.B. ; Kim, J. ; Lo, G.Q. ; Kwong, Dim-Lee
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Texas Univ., Austin, TX, USA
Abstract :
Effects of oxide growth temperature on time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) characteristics of thin (115 AA) N/sub 2/O-grown oxides are investigated and compared with those for conventional O/sub 2/-grown SiO/sub 2/ films with identical thickness. Results show that TDDB characteristics of N/sub 2/O oxides are strongly dependent on the growth temperature and, unlike conventional SiO/sub 2/, TDDB properties are much degraded for N/sub 2/O oxides with an increase in growth temperature. Large undulations at the Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface, caused by locally retarded oxide growth due to interfacial nitrogen, are suggested as a likely cause of degradation of TDDB characteristics in N/sub 2/O oxides grown at higher temperatures.<>
Keywords :
dielectric thin films; electric breakdown of solids; metal-insulator-semiconductor devices; oxidation; semiconductor-insulator boundaries; silicon compounds; MOS capacitors; N/sub 2/O oxides; Si-SiO/sub 2/ interface; TDDB characteristics; growth temperature; interface undulations; locally retarded oxide growth; time-dependent dielectric breakdown; Annealing; Capacitors; Degradation; Design for quality; Dielectric breakdown; Electric breakdown; Nitrogen; Oxidation; Temperature dependence; Temperature distribution;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
