Analysis of Local Breakdown Process in Stressed Gate SiO₂ Films by Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract

ABSTR4CT. It is assumed that surfaces showing low gloss consist of small elementary facets which may be set at any angle to the mean surface. These facets may be of two types, one diffusing a proportion of the incident flux according to Lambert's law, and the other reflecting, at the specular angle, a proportion s of the incident flux, where s is determined by Fresnel's equation and is dependent on the refractive index of the material. On these assumptions formulae are obtained whereby the emergent flux E can be resolved into its diffuse and specular components R and M and from which the proportional areas B of the mirror facets, set at different angles to the mean surface, can be calculated. The use of the equations is illustrated by analysing two families of curves obtained by means of an apparatus which is described and relating to light scattered from a surface of Bristol board and from a surface of magnesium-oxide smoke deposited on plane glass.

Electrostatic force microscopy analysis of Bi0.7Dy0.3FeO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition integrated with ZnO films for microelectromechanical systems and memory applications

“…The effect of positive charges on total conductance is verified by Conductive AFM (c-AFM) with 8 V for ZnO films will be reported in another article. It is anticipated such an embedded hole in ZnO to increase the amount of total current with bias voltage by lowering the practical tunnelling barrier [39]. Thus, we can assume that protrusions observed in EFM having positive charge.…”

Correlation Between Surface Topography and Static Capacitance Image of Ultrathin SiO2 Films Evaluated by Scanning Capacitance Microscopy

“…To date, oxide thickness studies have been typically related to current-sensing AFM (C-AFM) measurements. 2,23,25,26) Compared with the C-AFM method, our dC=dZ imaging technique has an advantage of obviating any need of DC offset bias for imaging. Thus we can evaluate the variation in oxide film thickness without considering deteriorating effects, such as additional anode oxidation or surface roughening due to charge injection.…”

Reliability factors of ultrathin dielectric films based on highly controlled SiO2films

“…It is well known that SiO 2 films are locally broken down during application of high electric field. [6][7][8] This finding clearly indicates that SiO 2 films are not perfectly uniform, and there exists two-dimensional nonuniformity inducing the weakest local point. One of the possible origins of nonuniformity is thickness fluctuation in SiO 2 films, as we previously reported.…”