Aspects of Hard Breakdown Characteristics in a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ Film

Aspects of Hard Breakdown Characteristics in a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ Film

This paper mainly discusses the hard breakdown of 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ films. It is shown that the hard breakdown event of a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ film greatly depends on the applied electric field. It is strongly suggested that the local weak spots created by applying a low initial stress to a 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$film resist the onset of hard breakdown. In other words, it is anticipated that the stored electrostatic energy is fast dissipated by trap-assisted tunneling in 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ film. Consequently, it is strongly suggested that 2.2-nm-thick $SiO_2$ films are intrinsically quite robust.