Generation of Electron Traps at High Field in Silicon Oxide Films

Temperature dependences of the high-field electron trapping in a SiO₂ thin film for temperature ranging from 100 to 423 K are investigated. It is found that in the investigated temperature range, when the temperature decreases the effective surface density of the electron traps in the film decreases; the energy levels of the effective electron traps at high field concentrate at very narrow energy range. The thermal generation rate is found to be 1.283xl0¹⁰/cm²•K and its activation energy is 0.192 eV. Based on these results, a model for the electron traps generated at high field in thin oxide is proposed.