Field Dependent Critical Trap Density for Thin Gate Oxide Breakdown

Because of the importance of thin gate oxide in silicon integrated circuits, its reliability, particularly its breakdown behavior has been studied intensively by many groups for many years. Yet, a clear physical mechanism still eludes us. Recently, a model based upon critical electron trap density has evolved and gained wide acceptance. While this model does not say anything about the microscopic nature of the traps that are responsible for breaking down the gate oxide, Degraeve et al managed to extract from it an effective radius of the traps. This kind of information is highly valuable in the construction of a physical model of oxide breakdown.