A Physics-Based Unified Gate-Oxide Breakdown Model

A new physics-based model for gate-oxide breakdown is proposed. Based on the thermal-chemical model, the new model introduced the concept of multiple precursor types, parallel reaction path that hole can be trapped directly and the provision for hole detrapping. In the limit of detrapping being small, an analytical expression is found. This expression can explain many of the observed phenomena in breakdown experiments such as constant Qp for breakdown at high-field, the 1/E behavior at high-field and E behavior at low-field. It can also explain experiments that control the electron and hole current independently.