Structural damage at the Si/SiO2 interface resulting from electron injection in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

Abstract

With electron spin resonance, we have observed structural changes in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures resulting from the photoemisson of electrons from the silicon into the oxide. A trivalent silicon defect at the Si/SiO2 interface, termed Pb, is shown to be responsible for the interface states induced by electron injection. We find that these Pb centers are amphoteric interface state defects.