Estimates of EEPROM Device Lifetime

Abstract

A method was developed to estimate EEPROM device life based on the consistency for breakdown charge, Q_BD, for constant voltage time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) and constant current TDDB stress tests. Although an EEPROM works with a constant voltage, Q_BD for the tunnel oxide can be extracted using a constant current TDDB. Once the charge through the tunnel oxide, ΔQ_FG, is measured, the lower limit of the EEPROM life can be related to Q_BD/ΔQ_FG. The method is reached by erase/write cycle tests on an EEPROM.