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A Model for NBTI in Nitrided Oxide MOSFETs Which Does Not Involve Hydrogen or Diffusion

Published

Author(s)

Patrick M. Lenahan, Jason Campbell, A.T. Krishnan, S. Krishnan

Abstract

The negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is, arguably, the single most important reliability problem in present day metal oxide silicon field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology. This paper presents a model for NBTI which is radically different from the quite widely utilized reaction diffusion models which dominate the current day NBTI literature. The proposed model is relevant to technologically important nitrided oxide pMOSFETs. The model is clearly not, at least in its entirety, relevant to pure silicon dioxide gate pMOSFETs. Reaction diffusion models involve hydrogen/silicon bond breaking events at the silicon/ silicon dioxide interface initiated by the presence of an interface hole, followed by the diffusion of a hydrogenic species from the interface as well as potential rebonding of hydrogen and interface trap defect centers. This model does not invoke hydrogen in any form whatsoever but does simply account for the observed NBTI power law response and provides a reasonably accurate value for this exponent. The model also provides a reasonable explanation for recovery which includes a simple explanation for the extremely rapid rate of recovery at short times. In addition, the model provides a very simple explanation why the introduction of nitrogen greatly enhances NBTI. The model, as presented in this paper, should be viewed as a first order approximation; it contains several simplifying assumptions. Finally, the model is consistent with recent electron paramagnetic resonance studies of NBTI defect chemistry in nitride oxide pMOSFETs.
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability
Volume
11
Issue
2

Keywords

negative bias temperature instability, oxide traps, interface traps

Citation

Lenahan, P. , Campbell, J. , Krishnan, A. and Krishnan, S. (2011), A Model for NBTI in Nitrided Oxide MOSFETs Which Does Not Involve Hydrogen or Diffusion, IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created May 31, 2011, Updated October 12, 2021