What can electron paramagnetic resonance tell us about the Si/SiO2 system?

Abstract

Electron paramagnetic resonance ͑EPR͒ measurements of Si/SiO 2 systems began over 30 years ago. Most EPR studies of Si/SiO 2 systems have dealt with two families of defects: P b centers and EЈ centers. Several variants from each group have been observed in a wide range of Si/SiO 2 samples. Some of the most basic aspects of this extensive, body of work remain controversial. EPR is an extraordinary powerful analytical tool quite widely utilized in chemistry, biomedical research, and solid state physics. Although uniquely well suited for metal-oxide-silicon ͑MOS͒ device studies, its capabilities are not widely understood in the MOS research and development community. The impact of EPR has been limited in the MOS community by a failure of EPR spectroscopists to effectively communicate with other engineers and scientists in the MOS community. In this article we hope to, first of all, ameliorate the communications problem by providing a brief but quantitative introduction to those aspects of EPR which are most relevant to MOS systems. We review, critically, those aspects of the MOS/EPR literature which are most relevant to MOS technology and show how this information can be used to develop physically based reliability models. Finally, we briefly review EPR work dealing with impurity defects in oxide thin films.

Thermally induced modifications on bonding configuration and density of defects of plasma deposited SiOx:H films

“…͑i͒ A narrow line with g ranging from 2.0004 to 2.0010 and width ͑peak-to-peak first derivative͒ ⌬H pp about 3-5 G. This line can be assigned to the well-known EЈ center, whose origin is essentially a silicon dangling bond with "SiwO 3 configuration. 25 27 We will name the defect observed in our samples as Si DB .…”

The ultra-sensitive electrical detection of spin-Rabi oscillation at paramagnetic defects

“…For the c-Si (111) surface orientation, all P b centers point into a direction perpendicular to the interface. Because of this, their microscopic anisotropy is reflected by the ESR as well as EDMR spectra as shown repeatedly in the literature [17,18]. First pEDMR studies at the P b -center have been carried out recently by Friedrich et al [18] which revealed that charge carrier trapping and recombination can take place without the presence of additional shallow trapping centers through a two step trapping/readjustment direct capture process that had been described theoretically first by Shockley and Read [19] and later Rong et al [20].…”

“…P b centers are trivalent Si atoms at the c-Si/SiO 2 interface. They dominate interface trapping and recombination, they are paramagnetic when uncharged [15,16] and they are strongly localized, anisotropic electronic states [17]. For the c-Si (111) surface orientation, all P b centers point into a direction perpendicular to the interface.…”

Bonding configuration and density of defects of SiOxHy thin films deposited by the electron cyclotron resonance plasma method

“…14 The dangling bonds ͑usually paramagnetic͒ play a key role in the device performance. 15 Depending on the film composition, the dominant defect has a different microscopic structure, changing its type from the well known EЈ center ("SiϵO 3 ) in stoichiometric SiO 2 films to the Si-dangling bond defect ("SiϵSi 3 , in the following Si DB ) in SROX films far from the stoichiometry. 16 The study of defects in SROX films is scarce and few articles dealing with this problem can be found in the literature.…”