Method and system for qualifying an ONO layer in a semiconductor device

Abstract

A method and system for qualifying an oxide-nitride-oxide (QNO) layer including a first oxide layer, a nitride layer and a control oxide layer in a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method and system including determining a first plurality of dielectric breakdown voltages and a first plurality of lifetimes and determining a second plurality of dielectric voltages and a second plurality of lifetimes. The first plurality of dielectric breakdown voltages and lifetimes being determined utilizing a plurality of ramp rates for a first plurality of ONO layers having a particular nitride layer thickness and a plurality of control oxide layer thicknesses. The second plurality of dielectric breakdown voltages and lifetimes layer being determined utilizing the plurality of ramp rates for each of a second plurality of ONO layers having a particular control oxide layer thickness and a plurality of nitride layer thicknesses. The method and system include determining a field acceleration factor based on the first and second plurality of dielectric breakdown voltages and an activation energy based on the first and second plurality of lifetimes. The method and system also include determining a lifetime for the ONO layer based upon the field acceleration factor and the activation energy for the ONO layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.