Reliability

Which phenomenon degrades transistor characteristics when carriers accelerated by the high electric field near the drain are injected into the gate dielectric?

  1. ANBTI
  2. BHot carrier injection (HCI)
  3. CLatch-up
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Answer: B. Hot carrier injection (HCI)

When carriers flowing in the channel are accelerated by the strong field near the drain, they become high-energy hot carriers, some of which are injected into the gate dielectric or create interface states. As a result, threshold voltage and drive current change. It is suppressed with LDD structures and lower supply voltages.

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