Constant current breakdown in thin SiO/sub 2/ films

This paper shows that, in thin silicon dioxide films, the charge to breakdown distribution can have two origins. It can be related to the oxide thickness variation across the wafer or to the statistical nature of the breakdown event. The oxide non uniformity is a major factor in the case of stress-induced-bulk-charge enhanced breakdown. We also demonstrate that the stress-induced-hole current increase has to be considered to ensure the correct oxide life time prediction.