Photoinduced trap generation at the Si-SiO2 interface

We report on the permanent modification of the second-order nonlinear (SHG) response of the Si-SiO2 interface upon irradiation of oxidized Si(100) and Si(111) samples with femtosecond laser pulses of nanojoule pulse energy at the wavelength of 780 nm (1.6 eV). We attribute this effect to a de-field-induced SH contribution which results from the creation of new oxide traps by a photoinduced damage process. The damage process occurs, with a significantly lower efficiency, also under cw irradiation; the experimental results, however, rule out a thermal origin of the effect as well as a multiphoton effect.