Abstract
The physical dimension of the hillocks formed during gate-dielectric-breakdown-induced epitaxy (DBIE) is found to be dependent on transistor type. When narrow transistors of area between 3.0x10(-10) and 8.0x10(-10) cm(2) with a gate oxide ranging from 16 to 33 Angstrom electrically stressed in inversion mode under the same accelerated stress condition, the DBIEs formed in the n-metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) are found to be always about 2 times or more larger than that in the p-MOSFET. The difference in the DBIE dimensions is primarily attributed to a larger percolation leakage current in the n-MOSFET during the gate oxide breakdown transient. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.