MOLECULAR-HYDROGEN, E' CENTER HOLE TRAPS, AND RADIATION-INDUCED INTERFACE TRAPS IN MOS DEVICES

We provide long sought direct atomic scale evidence for molecular hydr ogen reactions at a specific point defect in irradiated thermally grow n SiO2 films on Si. Using electron spin resonance (ESR), we observe hy drogen interaction at E' centers in thermal oxides exposed to molecula r hydrogen at room temperature. (The E' center is the dominant hole tr ap in thermally grown SiO2.) The decrease in E' density occurs on a ti me scale similar to a comparable increase in density of interface trap s, The similarity of the rate of E' decrease to the rate of interface trap increase and the approximate agreement between the number of E' c enters and interface traps involved in the two reactions is very stron g evidence that E' centers are involved in the interface trap formatio n process in radiation and hot carrier damaged thermally grown SiO2 on Si.