Evolution of BSIM3v3 parameters during hot-carrier stress

Abstract

One of the key components in any circuit reliability simulation methodology is a strategy for predicting the hot-carrier-induced changes in device parameters during stress. A novel direct parameter extraction strategy for the BSIM3v3 MOSFET model, and its application to hot-carrier reliability simulation, is presented in this paper. The use of direct techniques produces physically-relevant SPICE parameters from a minimum number of device I-V measurements. The change in the parameter values during hot-carrier stress exhibit a more monotonic trend than those obtained using conventional parameter optimization techniques. The application of a direct SPICE parameter extraction scheme to the hot-carrier reliability problem also makes the extraction routines repeatable over a wide range of experimental conditions. A new approach for the fitting of the evolution of directly-extracted BSIM3v3 parameters during stress is presented.