Interfacial defects in SiO2 revealed by photon stimulated tunneling of electrons

Experiments on the photon stimulated tunneling of electrons at the interfaces of SiO2 with Si and SiC demonstrate the presence of defects with electron binding energy of 2.8 eV relative to the SiO2 conduction band, well above the semiconductor band gap. These defects, which so far escaped diner detection, are located near interfacial oxide layers, their density being sensitive to the silicon enrichment of SiO2. The discovered defects appear to be the origin of the trap-assisted electron injection phenomena in SiO2.