Electron spin resonance study of interface states induced by electron injection in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

Abstract

We find that electrons emitted from silicon into the oxide of metal-oxide-silicon devices generate amphoteric trivalent silicon (Pb center) defects at the Si/SiO2 interface. The Pb centers are generated in numbers approximately equal to that of the electron injection induced interface states. The effects of electron injection are similar to those of ionizing radiation to the extent that in both cases Pb centers are generated at the Si/SiO2 interface. However, the effects are not identical; ionizing radiation creates another trivalent silicon defect, termed E′, in the oxide. We are unable to observe any E′ generation in oxides subjected to electron injection. There appears to be a strong correlation between the number of trapped electrons and the electron injection induced Pb center interface states; this observation suggests that the trapping of electrons in the bulk of the oxides is in some way related to the creation of the Pb center interface state defects. We find that dry oxides subjected to a deuterium/nitrogen anneal exhibit less electron trapping than otherwise identical oxides which have been subjected to a hydrogen/nitrogen anneal. This observation is consistent with the idea that a hydrogen bond breaking event may be involved in electron capture.