Observations of NBTI-induced atomic scale defects

We utilize a combination of MOSFET gate-controlled diode DC-IV measurements and a very sensitive electron spin resonance technique called spin-dependent recombination to observe and identify defect centers generated by NBTI in fully processed SiO
₂
-based pMOSFETs. In SiO
₂
devices, the defects include two Si/ SiO
₂
interface silicon dangling bond centers (P
_b0
and P
_b1
) and may also include an oxide silicon dangling bond center (E'). Our observations suggest that both P
_b0
and P
_b1
defects play major roles while the E' defect plays a somewhat different role in the SiO
₂
devices