Low-frequency noise statistics for the breakdown characterization of ultrathin gate oxides

We have investigated the statistics of low-frequency noise in the tunneling current of ultrathin oxides (2.5–4nm) in metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors as a function of the applied voltage stress. The statistical analysis includes (i) non-Gaussianity (nG), which is a measure of the degree of temporal correlation in the noise, and (ii) ratio of integrated noise power to the dc leakage current (R). The occurrence of high peaks in nG indicates the appearance of new percolation paths, and the subsequent conduction through these paths is indicated by R. Our results show that the nG and R characteristics are generic for the oxides of different thickness and growth quality and have the potential, in conjunction with leakage itself, of being used as a prognosticator of oxide reliability.