Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-20T04:08:21.871Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Study of Stress-Induced Leakage Current in Thin Oxides Stressed by Corona Charging in Air: Relationship to GOI Defects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

M. Wilson ,
J. Lagowski ,
A. Savtchou ,
D. Marinskiy ,
L. Jastrzebski  and
J. D'amico
M. Wilson
Affiliation:
Semiconductor Diagnostics, Inc. 3650 Spectrum Blvd. Ste. 130, Tampa, FL 33612.
J. Lagowski
Affiliation:
Semiconductor Diagnostics, Inc. 3650 Spectrum Blvd. Ste. 130, Tampa, FL 33612.
A. Savtchou
Affiliation:
Semiconductor Diagnostics, Inc. 3650 Spectrum Blvd. Ste. 130, Tampa, FL 33612.
D. Marinskiy
Affiliation:
Semiconductor Diagnostics, Inc. 3650 Spectrum Blvd. Ste. 130, Tampa, FL 33612.
L. Jastrzebski
Affiliation:
Center for Microelectronics Research, University of South Florida, 4020 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620.
J. D'amico
Affiliation:
Center for Microelectronics Research, University of South Florida, 4020 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620.
Get access

Abstract

Corona charging in air combined with non-contact oxide charge measurement with a contact potential difference probe provides an unique possibility for fast monitoring of electron tunneling characteristics without preparation of MOS capacitors. It has also been found tha corona charging of thin oxides in the tunneling range is very effective in generating stressinduced leakage current. In this work we demonstrate the sensitivity of the corona stressinduced leakage current magnitude to gate oxide integrity defect density. The experimenta results cover three of the most common gate oxide integrity defects, namely: 1 – the defect induced by heavy metals (Fe.Cu) at a practically important low concentration range of 1×1010 to 1×1011 atoms/cm3: 2 – the defects originating from interface roughness and 3–the defects related to crystal originated particles.

At low corona stress fluence, these defects play no role in the tunneling characteristics which follow ideal Fowler-Nordheim characteristics for oxides 50Å or thicker and a contribution from a direct tunneling current for thinner oxides. At high corona stress fluences, gate oxide integrity defects control the magnitude of stress-induced leakage current measured at constan oxide field. It is suggested that the gate oxide integrity role is associated with the enhanced rate of the trap generation during stress. It is noted that the present findings employ a novel methodology for gate oxide integrity monitoring based on corona charging and contact potential difference measurement.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 592 , 1999 , 345
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Wilson, M., Lagowski, J., Savtchouk, A., Jastrzebski, L. and D'Amico, J. in Gate Dielectric Integrity Material, Process and Tool Qualification, ASTM STP 1382, edited by Gupta, D.C. and Brown, G.A., American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA (1999).Google Scholar
2.Williams, R. and Willis, A., J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3731 (1968).Google Scholar
3.Woods, M. H. and Williams, R., J. Appl. Phvs. 44, 1026 (1973).Google Scholar
4.Verkuil, R.L. and Fung, M.S., Proc. 173rd Electrochem. Soc. Eyt. Abs. 169 (1988)Google Scholar
5.Schroder, D.K., Fung, M.S., Verkuil, R.L., Pandey, S., Howland, W.H. and Kleefstra, M., Solid-State Electronics 42, 505 (1998).Google Scholar
6.Lagowski, J. and Edelman, P., Inst. Phys. Conf Ser. 160, 133 (1997).Google Scholar
7.Lagowski, J., Jastrzebski, L., Hoff, A.M. and Edelman, P., U.S. patent 5,773,989.Google Scholar
8.Lagowski, J., U.S. patent pending.Google Scholar
9.Weinberg, Z.A., Johnson, W.C. and Lampert, M.A., J. Appl. Phys. 47, 248 (1976).Google Scholar
10.Wilson, M., Lagowski, J., Savtchouk, A., Jastrzebski, L., D'Amico, J., DeBusk, D and Buczkowski, A. in Analytical and Diagnostic Techniques for Semiconductor Materials, Devices and Processes, edited by Kolbesen, B.O., Claeys, C., Stallhofer, P., Tardif, F., Benton, J., Shaffner, T., Schroder, D., Kishino, S. and Rai-Choudhury, P. (The Electrochemical Society Proceedings 99–16, Pennington, New Jersey, 1999) pp.373–384.Google Scholar
11.Dumi, D.J., Microelectron. Reliab. 37, 1029 (1997).Google Scholar