Gate oxide damage: a brief history and a look ahead

The tendency for glass to break under stress has been an annoying problem for centuries. Perhaps it is not surprising that today, with gate oxides mere monolayers thick and the plasma environment a veritable chamber of horrors, we are still struggling to prevent damage. This paper provides a brief history of gate oxide damage in the modern era of plasma processing, reviewing key discoveries and industry trends. It concludes with a look ahead - a speculative projection of where these trends and new developments might be taking us.