The energy distributions of interface states were determined in (100)Si/HfO2 using capacitance-voltage measurements on structures with the periphery of the metal electrode switched to inversion by controlled application of corona discharge. Together with independently applied ac conductance spectroscopy they reveal a strong impact of the HfO2 deposition technique on the interface trap density. This includes the enhancement of the Si-dangling bond defect (P-b0 centers) density and a contribution of insulator-related traps in samples deposited using a nitrogen-containing precursor. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.