Dielectric breakdown mechanism of HfSiON/SiO/sub 2/ gate dielectric

Abstract

The breakdown mechanism of HfSiON/SiO/sub 2/ gate stacks is discussed, based on studies of the band diagram, carrier separation and charge pumping measurements. We found that both holes and electrons contribute to BD and therefore the combination of the stress polarity and the device type should be chosen carefully to evaluate the reliability.