The outstanding properties of SiO2, which include high resistivity, excellent dielectric strength, a large band gap, a high melting point, and a native, low defect density interface with Si, are in large part responsible for enabling the microelectronics revolution. The Si/SiO2 interface, which forms the heart of the modern metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor, the building block of the integrated circuit, is arguably the worlds most economically and technologically important materials interface. This article summarizes recent progress and current scientific understanding of ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si–O–N (silicon oxynitride) gate dielectrics on Si based devices. We will emphasize an understanding of the limits of these gate dielectrics, i.e., how their continuously shrinking thickness, dictated by integrated circuit device scaling, results in physical and electrical property changes that impose limits on their usefulness. We observe, in conclusion, that although Si microelectronic devices...

Ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si-O-N gate dielectric layers for silicon microelectronics: Understanding the processing, structure, and physical and electrical limits

This paper reviews recent progress in understanding microstructural and growth-mechanistic aspects of ultrathin (<4 nm) oxynitride films for gate dielectric applications. Different techniques for characterizing these films are summarized. We discuss several nitridation methods, including thermal (oxy)nitridation in NO, N2O, and N2 as well as a variety of deposition methods. We show that a basic understanding of the gas-phase and thin-film oxygen and nitrogen incorporation chemistries facilitates the processing of layered oxynitride nanostructures with desirable electrical properties.

Growth and characterization of ultrathin nitrided silicon oxide films

Power-law voltage acceleration: A key element for ultra-thin gate oxide reliability

In this article, we critically examine the limit of gate oxide scaling from a reliability point of view. The thickness dependence of the characteristic breakdown time (charge) and Weibull slope as well as the temperature dependence of oxide breakdown are measured with emphasis on accuracy. The failure modes of soft and hard breakdown events and their impact on device characteristics are reviewed. Using a two-dimensional reliability analysis, we explore the relative importance of characteristic breakdown time and Weibull slope in lifetime projection, and the possibilities of extending gate oxide beyond the currently predicted limit.

Ultra-thin oxide reliability for ULSI applications

Effects of hydrogen transport and reactions on microelectronics radiation response and reliability

The impact of nitrogen (N) concentration and distribution on the electrical and reliability properties of rapid‐thermally NO‐annealed oxides is studied. The use of NO‐annealing of thermally grown SiO2 provides an excellent way to isolate the effects of N, since this method allows for the incorporation of varying N profiles in the oxide without a simultaneous increase in dielectric thickness. Results show that the electrical properties of the dielectric under gate and substrate Fowler–Nordheim injection are highly sensitive to the N profile in the dielectric. While interface endurance (ΔDit) is seen to improve monotonically with increasing N concentrations for both +Vg and −Vg, the same is not observed for charge‐to‐breakdown (QBD) properties. It is found that although QBD improves with NO nitridation under +Vg, it shows a turnaround behavior under −Vg, i.e., for a 10‐s NO‐annealed oxide the QBD value is improved over control oxide while further nitridation is seen to degrade QBD under −Vg. The presence of bulk N and the nonuniform N distribution in the dielectric is responsible for this behavior.

Effects of chemical composition on the electrical properties of NO‐nitrided SiO2

We have investigated polarity dependence of dielectric breakdown under constant current stress in scaled SiO/sub 2/ dielectrics. Results show that high-field-induced interface state generation is reduced as oxide thickness scales down and charge-to-breakdown (Q/sub BD/) for positive gate bias (+V/sub g/) increases with decreasing oxide thickness. However, Q/sub BD/ for negative gate bias (-V/sub g/) shows an opposite trend to Q/sub BD/(+V/sub g/), i.e. Q/sub BD/(-V/sub g/) decreases dramatically with decreasing oxide thickness. Therefore, there is an increased polarity dependence of dielectric breakdown when oxide thickness scales down. A physical model based on the degradation of structural transition layer (STL) and interface is proposed to explain the observed trends in Q/sub BD/. >

Polarity dependence of dielectric breakdown in scaled SiO/sub 2/

This paper reports on the performance and hot-carrier reliability of N- and P-channel MOSFET's with oxynitride gate dielectrics fabricated by rapid thermal nitridation of thermally grown SiO/sub 2/ in pure nitric oxide (NO) ambient. NO nitridation results in an increase in the nitrogen (N) incorporation in the dielectric without a significant increase in oxide thickness. High field electron mobility is found to increase with NO-nitridation while hole mobility is only slightly degraded. Hot-carrier reliability of both N- and P-channel MOSFETs is found to be significantly enhanced with increasing NO-nitridation. A 1000/spl deg/C, 10-second NO-anneal is found to be the optimum nitridation condition since, compared to control oxide devices, these devices showed comparable electron and hole mobility but significantly enhanced hot-carrier immunity. >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/3058/8678/00383401.pdf

Performance and hot-carrier reliability of N- and P-MOSFETs with rapid thermally NO-nitrided SiO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics

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Effects of chemical composition on the electrical properties of NO‐nitrided SiO2

Polarity dependence of dielectric breakdown in scaled SiO/sub 2/

Performance and hot-carrier reliability of N- and P-MOSFETs with rapid thermally NO-nitrided SiO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics