The temperature effect of degradation in tunneling and conventional silicon dioxides

The charge to breakdown (Q/sub BD/) was studied as functions of both temperature and current injection level under stress for tunnel anneal (40 /spl Aring/) and conventional (103 /spl Aring/) silicon dioxide (SiO/sub 2/) in the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) system. The charge to breakdown is almost independent of current injection level at higher temperatures for 103 /spl Aring/ SiO/sub 2/ films although the Q/sub BD/ of 40 /spl Aring/ SiO/sub 2/ films strongly depends both on current level and on temperature. Higher activation energies were obtained for 40 /spl Aring/ oxides at lower temperatures (25/spl deg/C-100/spl deg/C), while larger activation energy was obtained for 103 /spl Aring/ oxides at higher temperatures (150/spl deg/C-200/spl deg/C).