Understanding oxide degradation mechanisms in ultra-thin SiO2 through high-speed, high-resolution in-situ measurements

A model is proposed and validated for the degradation mechanisms occurring in ultra-thin SiO2 at real operation conditions, based on high-resolution, high-speed in-situ measurements. This state-of-the-art set-up proves that oxide degradation still occurs at low stress conditions and allows distinguishing quantitatively the SILC-contribution from the contribution due to trapping.