The annealing of interface traps in polysilicon gate metal‐oxide‐silicon (MOS) structures has been studied using rapid thermal annealing. Capacitors with different gate geometries were annealed in forming gas and in nitrogen at 400°, 450°, and 500°C for times ranging from 15s to 1h. Three distinct annealing mechanisms were observed: lateral diffusion of hydrogen from the ambient under the polysilicon gate, vertical diffusion of hydrogen from the ambient through the polysilicon gate, and annealing by residual hydrogen in the polysilicon and the oxide. An equilibrium model describing the annealing of interface states by lateral diffusion of molecular hydrogen is developed and is used to determine the diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in
SiO2
. The derived value of
DH2=7.2×10−5expfalse(−0.58 normaleV/normalkTfalse)cm2 s−1
agrees well with the value measured by Schols and Maes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.