Charge-buildup damage to gate oxide

摘要

Abstract: `Antenna' structures over thick oxide were used to detect charge buildup damage to gate oxide, and gate leakage was measured to characterize the extent of damage. Polycide, metal 1, and metal 3 antennas with both area-intensive and edge-intensive configurations were included. After processing through a full triple-level metal, 135 angstroms gate oxide, 0.6 $mu@m CMOS flow, individual 5 $mu@m $MUL 1 $mu@m transistors (over gate oxide which had been stressed by the charge collected through an attached antenna during wafer fabrication) were measured and considered damaged if a current $GRT 1 nA leaked through the oxide when a 5.5 V stress was applied to the gate during testing.!10