Impact of MOSFET gate oxide breakdown on digital circuit operation and reliability

被引：153

作者：

Kaczer, B ^{[1
]}

Degraeve, R ^{[1
]}

Rasras, M ^{[1
]}

Van de Mieroop, K ^{[1
]}

Roussel, PJ ^{[1
]}

Groeseneken, G ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] IMEC, B-3001 Louvain, Belgium

来源：

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES | 2002年 / 49卷 / 03期

关键词：

circuit reliability; CMOS digital integrated circuits; CMOSFET oscillators; dielectric breakdown;

D O I：

10.1109/16.987122

中图分类号：

TM [电工技术]; TN [电子技术、通信技术];

学科分类号：

0808 ; 0809 ;

摘要：

The influence of FET gate oxide breakdown on the performance of a ring oscillator circuit is studied using statistical tools, emission microscopy, and circuit analysis. It is demonstrated that many hard breakdowns can occur in this circuit without affecting its overall function. Time-to-breakdown data measured on individual FETs are shown to scale correctly to circuit level. SPICE simulations of the ring oscillator with the affected FET represented by an equivalent circuit confirm the measured influence of the breakdown on the circuit's frequency, the stand-by and the operating currents. It is concluded that if maintaining a digital circuit's logical functionality is the sufficient reliability criterion, a nonzero probability exists that the circuit will remain functional beyond the first gate oxide breakdown. Consequently, relaxation of the present reliability criterion in certain cases might be possible.

引用

页码：500 / 506

页数：7

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