CHARGE GENERATION IN METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR CAPACITORS DURING FOWLER-NORDHEIM STRESS

Experimental observations are reported concerning the influence of som e technological processes on the generation rate of positive oxide cha rge and interface states during high electric field stress. Our result s on positive oxide charge generation are consistent with a model of i mpact ionization in silicon dioxide and we think that acoustic-phonon runaway is the controlling process for impact ionization in SiO2 in fi lms thicker than 20.0 nm at fields higher than 7 MV/cm. We have found that the positive charge is mainly due to trapped holes when the elect rons are injected at the gate/SiO2 interface.