Direct observation of electrically active interfacial layer defects which may cause threshold voltage instabilities in HfO2 based metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inIdentification of the atomic-scale defects involved in the negative bias temperature instability in plasma-nitrided p -channel metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors

Defects in HfO2 Based Dielectric Gate Stacks

“…Ryan et al [15] have, as mentioned previously, also suggested a coupling between an oxygen deficient silicon and a hafnium atom in the interfacial layer. Ryan et al [15] have, as mentioned previously, also suggested a coupling between an oxygen deficient silicon and a hafnium atom in the interfacial layer.…”

“…Ryan et al [15] also showed that the amplitude of these E' signals depends upon the position of the silicon/dielectric Fermi energy. This result demonstrates that the centers can act electronically as interface traps.…”

“…Ryan et al [15,16] and Bersuker et al [17] have reported the observation of several E' center variants in the interfacial layer of HfO 2 based structures. (E' centers are oxygen deficient silicons, dominating deep level defects in conventional SiO 2 based oxides.…”

“…Their EPR spectra are characterized by narrow lines with zero crossing g values between 2.000 and 2.003.) Ryan et al [15] also noted that these interfacial E' variants exist in an environment which cannot be fully amorphous or a non textured polycrystalline matrix. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate this strong process dependence.…”

Comparison of tunneling current assisted by neutral and positive traps with finite ranged core-potential

“…3 In SiO 2 , the difference is that the SILC due to neutral traps is stable, while the SILC from positive traps decays with increasing the relaxation time, for the reason that the trapped holes may detrap or recombine with electrons. [4][5][6] One of proposed SILC-related trap models in SiO 2 is the socalled E 0 center: OSi•, 7,8 in which the Si atom can capture or lose one electron and then becomes negatively and positively charged, respectively.…”