Enhancing reliability of CMOS devices using electrical techniques and electron spin resonance spectroscopy

Excessive failures due to threshold voltage shifts impacted the reliability of a CMOS analog comparator circuit. These shifts were attributed to a process-induced neutral hole trap. Electrical techniques were used to verify the model and determine the root cause. This work showed the need for a low cost technique for early defect detection which could be utilized during process development or as a process monitor. The method of electron spin resonance (ESR) was found to confirm the electrical results of this study. ESR is being developed as a diagnostic tool for improving product reliability.<>