Scanning capacitance microscope study of a SiO2/Si interface modified by charge injection

We have investigated the local electrical properties of an SiO2/Si structure using a scanning capacitance microscope (SCaM) combined with an atomic force and a scanning tunneling microscope (AFM and STM). The electrical properties of the Si substrate and the SiO2/Si interface vary with position. In this experiment we have injected charge into the SiO2 and investigated the nature of charge storage at the SiO2/Si interface. We have used the combined microscope to apply a pulse to the SiO2/Si sample, causing charge to be trapped in the SiO2/Si interface. We could clearly detect the local variation of interface charge in a non-destructive manner using the SCaM and simultaneously by capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization. The volume of the C-V curve shift along the voltage axis due to trapped charges is dependent upon the density of the trapped charges. In doing this experiment we show one of the many possible applications of the combined SCaM/AFM/STM.