Patent · US Active

Process and circuit for improving the life duration of field-effect transistors

US7683653B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
0References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 1, 2008
Grant dateMar 23, 2010
Priority date—
Expiry dateOct 15, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/2642
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a process and a circuit designed to improve the life duration of electronic field-effect integrated circuit transistors and in particular those with a thin film gate dielectric. According to the invention, an aging measurement tS is supplied by measuring the charge or discharge time at a reference voltage VREF of the gate of a field effect transistor T1, previously pre-charged to a predefined test voltage VP, and brought to high impedance. Depending on the aging measurement obtained, the operational voltage measurement conditions of the transistor can be maintained or modified to reduce the stress applied to the dielectric.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.