Electron energy dependence of metal-oxide-semiconductor degradation

Using a variety of electron injection techniques, defect generation and degradation in thin gate oxide devices are unequivocally shown to be related to the electron energy of the carriers impinging on the silicon contacts to the oxide layer and not due to the oxide electric field. Also, nonuniform channel-hot-electron degradation is shown to be due to the same fundamental mechanism as that observed under uniform degradation conditions using either direct tunneling, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, or substrate-hot-electron injection. Additive defect generation from all three degradation modes is discussed in terms of realistic device operation. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)01842-2].