Nanoscale bias-annealing effect in postirradiated thin silicon dioxide films observed by conductive atomic force Microscopy

    Authors

    Y. L. Wu; S. T. Lin; T. M. Chang;J. J. Liou

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    IEEE Trans. Device Mater. Reliab.

    Keywords

    atomic force microscopy; bias annealing; irradiation; MOS devices; reliability; HEAVY-ION IRRADIATION; INDUCED LEAKAGE CURRENT; GATE OXIDES; SIO2; CURRENTS; MOSFETS; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic; Physics, Applied

    Abstract

    This paper investigated the reliability of thin silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) subjected to irradiation followed by stress, using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). The I-V characteristics of localized spots on thin oxide films were measured before and after Co(60) gamma-ray irradiation. The oxide films were then subjected to a ramped voltage stress simultaneously during the I-V measurements. By taking advantage of a small contact area, we report for the first time the nanoscale postirradiation bias-annealing effect in thin S film using C-AFM. Based on SiO(2) the number of fluctuating current peaks appearing in the I-V curves of the pre- and posttreatment oxide films, as well as the calculated effective barrier height from the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling theory, we found that the trapped charge in the oxide films, but not the charge at the interface caused by Co(60) gamma-ray irradiation, can be effectively annealed out by a postirradiation ramped voltage.

    Journal Title

    Ieee Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability

    Volume

    7

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2007

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    351

    Last Page

    355

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000249404100019

    ISSN

    1530-4388

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