INTERFACIAL DEFECTS IN SIO2 REVEALED BY PHOTON-STIMULATED TUNNELING OF ELECTRONS

Experiments on the photon stimulated tunneling of electrons at the int erfaces of SiO2 with Si and SiC demonstrate the presence of defects wi th electron binding energy of 2.8 eV relative to the SiO2 conduction b and, well above the semiconductor band gap. These defects, which so fa r escaped diner detection, are located near interfacial oxide layers, their density being sensitive to the silicon enrichment of SiO2. The d iscovered defects appear to be the origin of the trap-assisted electro n injection phenomena in SiO2.