Temperature dependence of trap creation in silicon dioxide

Abstract

The controversy over whether the rate of trap creation in silicon dioxide or at its interfaces with contacting electrodes increases or decreases at low temperature in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures is resolved. This is done experimentally by separating the strongly temperature-dependent background trapping in the interfacial regions from trap creation by hot electrons. As will be demonstrated here, the trap-generation rate is reduced at low temperatures regardless of the injection mode into the oxide conduction band, but the buildup of the created sites shows no saturation. Tunnel injection through or hot electron emission over the interfacial energy barrier are compared and discussed in detail. Also, our data are compared to radiation damage studies of others and their models using the motion of a hydrogen-related species to the cathodic interface where it interacts with defect sites to produce the observed interface states.