Dielectric Reliability Models and Mechanisms

Aggressive technology scaling continues to erode reliability margins. We review the effects of voltage and thickness scaling on dielectric reliability breakdown models and mechanisms. The understanding and progress in exploiting breakdown physics for improving reliability margins are discussed.

Paul E. Nicollian

Paul E. Nicollian received the B.S. degree in physics from Penn State University (1983) and the M.S. degree in physics from the University of Texas, Dallas (1990). He joined Texas Instruments in 1985, where he is currently a Senior Member of the Technical Staff in the Silicon Technology Development center. His current research is focused the reliability physics of ultrathin gate dielectrics. His contributions include a proof that TDDB is voltage rather than field driven, which helped end the controversy on breakdown models. In the same experiment, he demonstrated that the optimistic anode hole injection model remains a plausible breakdown mechanism at low voltages. He was the 1^ST to show that the dominant SILC mechanism at VFB in ultrathin oxides is due to interface traps, reducing some of the confusion in analyzing ultrathin oxide stress data. He has demonstrated that plasma nitridation enables a significant extension of the reliability scaling limit of SiO₂ based films. He has co-authored 18 publications, holds 2 US patents, and is a recipient of the 2000 IRPS Best Paper Award. He serves on the IRPS Technical Program Committee, and was co-chairman of Device Dielectrics in 2001. Mr. Nicollian is a Senior Member of the IEEE.