Hot carrier aging of nano-scale devices: Characterization method, statistical variation, and their impact on use voltage

Hot carrier aging (HCA) has attracted a lot of attentions recently, as it can be a lifetime limiting mechanism for both I/O and core devices. The applicability of the conventional characterization method developed for large devices to nano-scale devices is questionable, as nano-scale devices suffers from within-a-device-fluctuation (WDF). This work shows that the inclusion of WDF measured by the commercial quasi-DC SMU gives erroneous results. A method is proposed to separate the WDF from the real HCA for reliable parameter extraction of the HCA model. The lifetime and use voltage become yield dependent and the impact of statistical variations on SRAM is assessed.