Low-frequency noise measurements as a characterization tool for degradation phenomena in solid-state devices

The analysis of the degradation mechanisms that affect solid-state devices represents a key factor in the era of VLSI technology. This paper presents an overview of how the low-frequency noise measurement (LFNM) technique has been applied to the study of the most frequent causes of failure in integrated circuits and discrete components. After discussing noise and fluctuations in electron devices, we present some results obtained by applying LFNM to the analysis of some degradation mechanisms. Although several other causes of degradation are taken into consideration (ageing, radiation, hot electrons), the focus is on two specific failure mechanisms: electromigration in interconnect lines and ultra-thin oxide breakdown in MOS capacitors. Experience has highlighted the need for dedicated measurement systems, thus an entire section of the paper outlines both the instrumentation required and the reduction of the effects of spurious noise sources and external disturbances.