The degradation of the thermal oxide of a Si/SiO2/Al system caused by
exposure to extremely large doses of vacuum ultraviolet irradiation (1
0eV) was studied from the trapping of injected electrons and holes, an
d by means of electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The data show that
O atoms from regular oxide network sites are decorated with H and sub
sequently removed in the form of H2O molecules.