Detection of gate oxide charge trapping by second-harmonic generation

The high-electric-field-induced trapped oxide charge and neutral oxide trap s of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor gate oxide are inv estigated by surface second-harmonic light generation (SHG). The electric-f ield dependence of the SHG intensity is sensitive to the charge trapped at the interface between the oxide and the silicon substrate. The time depende nce of the SHG intensity probes the characteristics of the neutral trap sit es in the oxide. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)006 48-8].