Elimination and Generation of Si ‐ SiO2 Interface Traps by Low Temperature Hydrogen Annealing

An experimental study of the annealing of oxidized silicon in molecular and atomic hydrogen between room temperature and 400°C shows that the saturation density of interfacial traps is a unique function of temperature. The trap density is lower at higher temperatures. Depending on the starting density there may be an increase or decrease upon annealing in the number of traps. The form in which hydrogen is provided only affects the kinetics of the process. On the other hand, annealing in does not affect the trap density. Water‐related bulk electron traps show the same qualitative behavior. Some consequences of these findings for proposed models on thermal annealing of interface traps and the generation of these defects upon carrier injection are discussed.