Abstract: By measurement,we investigate the characteristics and location of gate oxide damage induced by snapback stress.The damage incurred during stress causes device degradation that follows an approximate power law with stress time.Oxide traps generated by stress will cause the increase of stress-induced leakage current and the decrease of Qbd (charge to breakdown),and it may also cause the degradation of off-state drain leakage current.Stress-induced gate oxide damage is located not only in the drain side but also in the source side.The tertiary electrons generated by hot holes move toward Si-SiO2 interface under the electrical field toward the substrate,which explains the source side gate oxide damage.

Key words: snapback breakdown, tertiary electron, SILC, charge to breakdown, oxide trap