Role of holes in the isotope effect and mechanisms for the metal-oxide-semiconductor device degradation

An experiment that incorporates the deuterium isotope effect into the "hole trapping and electron filling" scenario in silicon metal-oxide-semiconduct or (MOS) devices is presented. It is suggested that Lai's physical model is only partially true in order to explain all of the observed MOS device deg radation phenomena. The isotope effect is exclusively due to hot electrons, not hot holes. Holes might break the Si-O bonds to generate interface trap s at V-G near V-T. The dominant degradation mechanism is the electron-stimu lated Si-H bond breaking, although electron trapping also plays a role in d egradation. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.