The practical side of thin dielectric monitoring and characterization

The proper characterization and monitoring of gate dielectric reliability become critical functions in IC manufacturing and development as gate oxide thickness is scaled. Reliability engineers are faced with decisions concerning the test to use, the parameters of the test, test structure design, equipment, data analysis, and extrapolation to use conditions. This tutorial addresses many of these issues by providing examples of test structures, testing techniques, data analysis, and experimental case histories regarding long-term time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) testing, monitoring dielectric integrity via highly accelerated ramp tests, and characterizing plasma-induced damage.