AC TDDB extensive study for an enlargement of its impact and benefit on circuit lifetime assessment

With technology scaling and hardening of operating conditions requirements, Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) remains a major reliability concern. In this paper, considering AC rather than DC TDDB is shown to be a promising way to generate margin on lifetime assessment and also to minimize the predicted impact of breakdown on circuits functionality. In fact, it is evidenced that, for both NMOS and PMOSfets, and for both High-K/Metal Gate and SiO(N)/Poly technologies, increasing frequency delays breakdown occurrence, extends its progressivity and lowers its hardness.