The Statistical Distribution of Percolation Resistance as a Probe into the Mechanics of Ultra-thin Oxide Breakdown

Understanding the mechanism of oxide breakdown is essential for developing reliable sub-2nm oxides for scaled MOSFETs. Generally, it is assumed that the formation of a completed percolation path determines the time-to-breakdown, and the statistical distribution of the percolation resistance (see Fig.1) determines whether the breakdown will be soft or hard. The first assumption has been verified as the explanation for the reduction of the Weibull slope (beta) for thinner oxides. The second assumption about the statistical distribution, while being remarkably successful in explaining a variety of experiments, it often drawn schematically, but has never been confirmed experimentally.