Extraction of Charge Trapping Kinetics of Defects From Single-Defect Measurements

Abstract

Charge trapping at oxide defects poses a serious reliability concern in MOS transistors. For scaled technology nodes, the impact of charge-trapping events on the device behavior becomes even more severe. These events can be seen as discrete steps in the device current, allowing for single-defect analysis. In this context, random telegraph noise (RTN) analysis and time-dependent defect spectroscopy (TDDS) have become very popular in exploring the physical origin of charge trapping at single defects. To improve the accuracy of single-defect analysis, we conduct a Monte Carlo analysis of trap occupancy, enabling us to extract information about the charge emission time of fixed oxide traps from charge capture time data recorded under different stress conditions. The newly gained knowledge is beneficial for accurately calibrating defect models used to explain the charge-trapping dynamics of defects.