Abstract of the Disclosure

Protection against failure of an insulating oxide film on a semiconductor body such as the gate oxide in a silicon field effect transistor, wherein a voltage supplied between an electrical conductor overlying the oxide film and a semiconductor body which it covers, is provided by placing a discrete quantity of silicon nitride in electric parallel with the insulating oxide. Silicon nitride has a much higher leakage current before breakdown than insulating oxides as, for example, silicon dioxide.

• Figure 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a field effect transistor constructed in accord with the present invention and including oxide protective means therefor.
• Figure 2 is a graph illustrating the current leakage versus applied field for silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films of equivalent thickness.

 Citations [54]:
  
3,259,759  07/1966  Giaever
3,271,201  09/1966  Pomerantz
3,373,051  03/1968  Chu
3,379,584  04/1968  Bean