Observation of threshold oxide electric field for trap generation in oxide films on silicon

Abstract
Verwey’s bipolar/metal-oxide-silicon-field-effect-transistor structure is used to inject hot electrons into thermally grown wet oxide films on crystalline silicon by forward biasing the substrate emitter-base junction. Two components are separated from the threshold voltage shift: the electron charging of existing neutral oxide traps and the generation of new oxide traps. The density of the generated new oxide traps is found to increase rapidly and exponentially with increasing oxide electric field above 1.5 MV/cm. This threshold oxide field for oxide trap generation is consistent with the bond breaking energy of the hydrogen–silicon and hydrogen–oxygen bonds in the oxide film.