A new index for gate oxide reliability characterization

A new integral index (K-factor) for gate oxide (GOX) quality and reliability prediction is introduced. The physical meaning of this factor is that a charge leaking through a unit of volume of dielectric, induces a unit change in built-in electric field. The theoretical and experimental background together with examples of the K-factor application for comparing and characterization various gate oxides are presented and discussed. The advantages of this new technique, that should replace the QBD test, are demonstrated.