摘要
This work examines the impact of plasma-induced charge trapping in the contact-etch-stop layer (CESL), a multilayer dielectric stack deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), on the breakdown voltage of a high-voltage (HV) ESD protection device. Since PECVD inherently exposes the CESL to energetic ions and electrons, trapped charge accumulation is unavoidable. These charges electrostatically modulate the surface potential of reduce-surface field (RESURF) region, thereby lowering the device's breakdown voltage. The degradation characteristics weaken the robustness of the ESD device and ultimately contribute to product yield loss.