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Aspects of Hard Breakdown Characteristics in a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ Film  

Komiya, Kenji (High-Technology Research Center and Graduate School of Electronics, Kansai University)
Omura, Yasuhisa (High-Technology Research Center and Graduate School of Electronics, Kansai University)
Publication Information
JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science / v.2, no.3, 2002 , pp. 164-169 More about this Journal
Abstract
This paper mainly discusses the hard breakdown of 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ films. It is shown that the hard breakdown event of a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ film greatly depends on the applied electric field. It is strongly suggested that the local weak spots created by applying a low initial stress to a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$film resist the onset of hard breakdown. In other words, it is anticipated that the stored electrostatic energy is fast dissipated by trap-assisted tunneling in 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ film. Consequently, it is strongly suggested that 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ films are intrinsically quite robust.
Keywords
silicon oxide; hard breakdown; stress-induced leakage current; immunity;
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