Effect of off-State Stress and Drain Relaxation Voltage on Degradation of a Nanoscale nMOSFET at High Temperature

Concepts

EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMicroelectronicsSemiconductor DevicesSemiconductor MaterialsDefects In Electronic MaterialsDevice CharacterizationDevice ReliabilityField-effect TransistorsMetal-oxide-semiconductor Field-effect TransistorsSemiconductor ReliabilityCmos ReliabilityDegradationGate LeakageGate Oxide DegradationGate Oxide ReliabilityInterface TrapsReliability Degradation MechanismsStress State Effects

Abstract

This paper investigates the degradation mechanism of a nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (nMOSFET) that is subjected to off-state stress at high temperature and the impact of stress-induced defects on threshold voltage V th during drain relaxation. Experimental results indicate that acceptor-like interface traps N it , positive oxide charges Q ox , and neutral electron traps were generated by the off-state stress. Although the N it generated by the off-state stress caused an increase in V th , it did not influence V th during drain relaxation at a positive gate voltage. Drain relaxation filled the neutral electron traps and neutralized positive Q ox 's, which increased V th and decreased the off-current significantly. This new observation suggests that the off -state stress-induced defects in a nanoscaled nMOSFET should be seriously taken in evaluating the reliability of inverter circuits.

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