NEW OBSERVATION OF GATE CURRENT IN OFF-STATE MOSFET

Abstract

For a gate-controlled p+-n diode having gate-p+ overlap area of 3.7 x 10(-4) cm2, the work reports a new observation of the leakage current through a 235-angstrom gate oxide: the gate current components both due to Fowler-Nordheim electron tunneling through the gate-p+ overlap oxide and due to hot-electron injection have been separately detected. The corresponding gate current has been found to be dominated by Fowler-Nordheim electron tunneling prior to significant surface avalanche impact ionization. This observation is important for device application and for reliability study.