Physical-chemical processes in silicon dioxide films exposed to strong electric fields

The effect of strong electric fields exceeding 10 6 V/cm on the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures on the basis of silicon dioxide films is discussed. The processes in the dielectric layers in the MIM and MIS structures are shown to be similar. These generate electrically active defects due to the action of hot electrons causing breakage of the weakened bonds Si-O, Si-H, and Si-OH. The defects generated are likely to be silicon atoms with the dangling bond ≡Si •. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.