Evolution of low frequency noise and noise variability through CMOS bulk technology nodes from 0.5 μm down to 20 nm

•Low frequency noise and its variability through CMOS planar bulk technologies.•Evolution with technology generation of oxide trap density as a function of EOT.•Improvement of LFN statistical variability with decrease of EOT.

In this paper, we present a thorough investigation of low frequency noise (LFN) and statistical noise variability through CMOS planar bulk technologies manufactured along the past 12 years and, for the first time, from the most recent 20 nm CMOS bulk technology node. The experimental results are well interpreted by the carrier number with correlated mobility fluctuation model. This enabled us to plot the evolution with time and technology generation of the oxide trap density Nt as a function of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT). It appears that, with the device miniaturization, Nt overall increases almost by two decades with decreasing the EOT thickness from 12 nm for the 0.5 μm node to 1.3 nm for the 20 nm node for n- and p-MOS. Despite this increase of the mean trap density Nt, the LFN statistical variability has surprisingly been well controlled with the decrease of EOT and the increase of Nt and even improved in 28 and 20 nm node.