Towards a Universal Model of Dielectric Breakdown

• Published in: 2023 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS) pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Padovani, Andrea, Torraca, Paolo La, Strand, Jack, Shluger, Alexander, Milo, Valerio, Larcher, Luca
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-03-2023
• Subjects: bond-breakage; carriers' injection; Dielectric Breakdown; Dielectrics; Electric fields; Ginestra; Materials reliability; Microscopy; precursors; Reliability theory; Temperature; Temperature dependence
• DOI: 10.1109/IRPS48203.2023.10117846
• EISSN: 1938-1891

We present a microscopic breakdown (BD) model in which chemical bonds are weakened by carrier injection and trapping into pre-existing structural defects (precursors) and by the electric field. The model goes much beyond the existing ones by consistently explaining the role of both current (a weakness of the E model) and temperature (a weakness of the power-law model), along with the role of the electric field. It also explains the non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of BD. It suggests a new comprehensive physics-based framework (with tight connections to material properties) reconciling the many breakdown theories proposed so far (E, power-law, 1/E,...) within a more universal breakdown model.