Anomalous positive charge formation by atomic hydrogen exposure

The formation of anomalous positive charge (APC) near the Si SiO2 interface by atomic hydrogen exposure at room temperature has been studied. The APC exhibits a range of charging/discharging times from fractions of a second to hours. Room temperature annealing of the APC is observed and cycling its charge state makes the annealing significantly more rapid. The charge state of APC is driven by the silicon surface potential but not by the oxide field. © 1995.