DETERMINATION OF THE PARAMETERS OF SURFACE STATES BY THE METHOD OF THERMALLY STIMULATED DISCHARGE OF A METAL-INSULATOR-SEMICONDUCTOR CAPACITOR.

A THERMALLY STIMULATED DISCHARGED (TSD) OF A METAL-INSULATOR-SEMICONDUCTOR CAPACITOR IS ANALYZED, ALLOWING FOR CHANGES IN THE CAPACITANCE DURING THE DISCHARGE AND FOR RECAPTURE GOVERNING THE PROCESS OF APPROACH TO EQUILIBRIUM. THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THESE TWO FACTORS MAKE A LARGE CONTRIBUTION TO THE TDS CURRENT ARE CONSIDERED. THE CHANGE IN THE CAPACITANCE HAS LITTLE EFFECT IF THE DENSITY OF THE SURFACE STATES IS NOT TOO HIGH. THE RECAPTURE DETERMINES ENTIRELY THE FORM OF THE TSD CURVES IN THOSE CASES WHEN THE DISCHARGE RESULTS IN ONLY A PARTIAL LIBERATION OF CARRIERS FROM THE SURFACES STATES. IT IS SHOWN THAT IN THE CASE OF DISCRETE WELL-SEPARATED SURFACE STATES THE TSD METHOD CAN BE USED TO FIND THEIR ENERGY DISTRIBUTION AND THE CAPTURE CROSS SECTIONS. THE TREATMENT CONCLUDES WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE POSSIBLE APPLICATIONSOF THE TSD METHOD IN THE CASE OF CONTINUOUS DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE SURFACE STATES.