A prediction method of oxide breakdown caused by defects in SiO/sub 2/ films

A new prediction method for the so-called B mode failure, oxide breakdown at a lower electric field in step voltage tests, has been investigated. Two assumptions are used in this model, i.e. that the defect origins are of a larger size than the oxide thickness, and the presence of the defect-invisible region. The B mode failure distribution calculated using this model agrees well with measured data for oxide thickness ranging from 6.1 to 14.8 nm. This model is useful for interpretation of the dependence of the B mode failure distribution on oxide thickness and gate area in step voltage tests.