Detection of gate oxide charge trapping by second-harmonic generation

The high-electric-field-induced trapped oxide charge and neutral oxide traps of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor gate oxide are investigated by surface second-harmonic light generation (SHG). The electric-field dependence of the SHG intensity is sensitive to the charge trapped at the interface between the oxide and the silicon substrate. The time dependence of the SHG intensity probes the characteristics of the neutral trap sites in the oxide. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)00648-8].