Analysis of current components observed by cyclic current-voltage measurement in metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors

We have used the cyclic current-voltage (I-V) technique to characterize border traps generated by Fowler-Nordheim tunnel (FNT) electron injection in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. We clarified that the current components measured from as-grown samples by the cyclic I-V technique are directly related to the formation or removal of an inversion layer, and we refer to such data as the background current. On the contrary, the distinct peaks in the I-V curves were developed in addition to the background current after generating border traps by FNT electron injection. We suggest that the peaks were caused by the reversible charge-exchange between border traps and underlying Si via donor-like interface traps located near the 0.35 eV above the valence band edge.