Silicon dioxide degradation due to hydrogen and “hot” electrons

The physics of the degradation of SiO2-based gate dielectrics, has been studies intensely for CMOS manufacturing for many years which lead to the use of phenomenological modes. It was only within the last 15 years or so, that studies undertaken by myself and others at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center led to the discovery of the link between atomic hydrogen and “hot-electron” induced degradation. This work led to an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, "For studies of the release and subsequent motion of hydrogen in electrically stressed silicon dioxide films" given in December 1992 (see awards section below). The discovery and understanding of the hydrogen/hot-electron induced degradation paved the way for the development of physically based models for silicon device and/or circuit lifetime prediction.

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