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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M17839/01
Title: EARLY STAGE HOT CARRIER DEGRADATION IN STATE-OF-THE- ART DEEP SUBMICRON SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Principal Investigator: de Souza, Professor MM
Other Investigators:
Ekkanath-Madathil, Professor S
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Nokia Semelab Plc
Department: School of Engineering & Technology
Organisation: De Montfort University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 June 1999 Ends: 31 January 2002 Value (£): 123,351
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Electronic Devices & Subsys. VLSI Design
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The aim of this research proposal is to investigate early mode hot carrier degradation in state-of-the-art deep submicron VLSI devices using stress times beginning with 0.1 milliseconds. The proposed work will be crucial to the industrial manufacture of 0.1 micron devices by year 2006, as predicted in the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) technology roadmap. In sub-micron devices, hot carriers generated as a result of increased electric fields are trapped in the gate oxide and cause shifts in the electrical parameters of MOS transistors over a period of time. Floating gate measurements will be performed to qualify the nature of this injected charge during the early period. The results will be correlated to the dc characterisation to build a qualitative model which will be validated by computer simulations. An important aspect of this work is to provide a crucial insight into the mechanism by which hot carrier degradation is initiated within a device. Furthermore, the evaluation of the early mode degradation method to extract device lifetimes will result in a significant reduction in the turn-around time and cost of manufacture of VLSI circuits.
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Organisation Website: http://www.dmu.ac.uk