Elsevier

Thin Solid Films

Volume 192, Issue 1, 1 November 1990, Pages 1-5
Thin Solid Films

Electronics and Optics
Breakdown of SiO2 thin films grown in dry O2

https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-6090(90)90473-QGet rights and content

Abstract

The destructive dielectric breakdown of thin SiO2 films (with an oxide thickness below 20 nm) grown in dry O2 at atmospheric pressure is investigated as a function of oxidation temperature and subsequent thermal annealing.

The SiO2 film grown at temperatures below 800°C is defect free, denser but more highly stressed and presents a histogram of breakdown events vs. electric field with a delta function at 6 MV cm−1; if this film is annealed in dry N2 at 1000°C, the stress is released (via viscous flow phenomena) and the histogram of breakdown events vs. electric field is broadened with a significant percentage of breakdown events occuring at an electric field in the 10–24 MV cm−1 range.

The SiO2 film grown at 980°C contains channels and its histogram has a broad shape with the maximum at 8 MV cm−1; after an anneal in dry N2 at 1000°C the channels have vanished and the shape of the histogram is a delta function at 10 MV cm−1 electric field.

A model for the origin of this behaviour is proposed.

References (10)

  • A.G. Revesz et al.

    J. Phys. Chem. Solids

    (1969)
  • E.A. Irene

    J. Electrochem. Soc.

    (1978)
  • C. Pavelescu et al.

    J. Mater. Sci. Lett.

    (1985)
  • C. Pavelescu et al.

    J. Mater. Sci. Lett.

    (1986)
  • E.A. Irene et al.

    J. Electrochem. Soc.

    (1980)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

View full text