Bidirectional stress on a p-metal-oxide-silicon capacitor

Tunneling Fowler-Nordheim bidirectional electron injections were performed on a metal-oxide-silicon capacitor under constant voltage, and the study of generated defects behavior was investigated. It was found that defects gen erated within the oxide are of the same physical nature and are mainly comp osed of neutral traps. The charge and discharge of these traps depend on th e oxide field polarity. At the oxide-silicon interface, the saturation of i nterface state generation is maintained by the alternate change of the stre ss field polarity. This saturation is linked to the Si-delta-H+delta or oth er Si-delta-A(+delta) polar bonds at the silicon/oxide interface. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)05709-6].