Soft breakdown characteristics of ultralow-k time-dependent dielectric breakdown for advanced complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technologies

During technology development, the study of ultralow-k (ULK) time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) is important for assuring robust reliability. As the technology advances, the increase in ULK leakage current noise level and reversible current change induced by soft breakdown (SBD) during stress has been observed. In this paper, the physical origin of SBD and reversible breakdown, and its correlation to conventional hard breakdowns (HBDs) were extensively studied. Based on constant voltage stress (CVS) and constant current stress (CCS) results, it was concluded that SBD in ULK is an intrinsic characteristic for ULK material, and all first breakdown events most likely are soft instead of hard. Therefore, a unified understanding of SBD and HBD for low-k TDDB was established. Furthermore, the post-SBD and HBD breakdown conduction characteristics were explored and their impacts on circuit operation were discussed. Based on current limited constant voltage stress studies, it was found that the power dissipation, not the stored energy, determined the severity of ULK dielectric breakdown, and the postbreakdown conduction properties. A percolation-threshold controlled, variable-range-hopping (VRH) model was proposed to explain all postbreakdown aspects of SBD and HBD of ULK material. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3476292]