Reduced hot-electron effects in MOSFET's with an optimized LDD Structure

A comparison of device degradation due to hot-electron injection is made for conventional MOSFET's and lightly doped drain (LDD) structures. The studies indicate that, for an optimized LDD structure, critical device parameters, such as threshold voltage, transconductance, and linear and saturated current drives, show significantly reduced degradation when subjected to accelerated life testing. These results imply long-term stability for LDD devices used in VLSI circuits.