TDDB Reliability Prediction Based on the Statistical Analysis of Hard Breakdown Including Multiple Soft Breakdown and Wear-out

We study time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in thin gate oxide and demonstrate how soft breakdown (SBD) and wear-out (WO) parameters can be extracted from measuring the time-to-hard breakdown (tHBD) only. This requires that the competition of multiple SBD's is correctly taken into account. We show that the shape of the HBD distribution can change with voltage and area depending on the ratio of WO and SBD times and construct a complete reliability prediction model that includes SBD and WO.