COMPARISON OF THE ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SI METAL-INSULATOR-SEMICONDUCTOR TUNNEL-DIODES WITH INTERFACIAL LAYER GROWN BY RAPID THERMAL-OXIDATION OF SI IN O-2 AND IN N2O

The electrical properties of Si metal-insulator-semiconductor tunnel diodes with the interfacial layer grown by rapid thermal oxidation in oxygen [case (a)] and in N2O [case (b)] were analyzed. The interface state density in case (b) was found lower than that in case (a) by a factor of 4. The reverse current in case (b) was decreased by more than an order of magnitude. The interface state density is further reduced after high-temperature annealing. Diodes in case (b) showed better thermal stability and reproducibility. The formation of Si-N bonds and variation in trap density and fixed charges were used to explain the observations.