Test structure to measure interlayer dielectric effects and breakdown and detect metal defects in flash memories

摘要

An apparatus for testing a dielectric property of a material constituting the interlayer dielectric of a flash memory device is formed by a layer (122) of the dielectric material disposed throughout a test structure (200) representative of the flash memory device and a plurality of conductors (117A, 117B, 117C) disposed within that layer (122) or a pair of planar conductors (402, 404; 502, 503; 504, 505; 506, 507; 508, 509) deposited such that the conductors (402, 404; 502, 503; 504, 505; 506, 507; 508, 509) are substantially parallel to each other and the layer (122) of dielectric material is disposed throughout a test structure (400, 500) so as to separate the conductors (402, 404; 502, 503; 504, 505; 506, 507; 508, 509), the test structure (400, 500) functioning as a capacitor. The apparatus may also test a conductive property of a material constituting the conducting lines of a flash memory device by disposing a conductor (801, 901) through the dielectric material (122).