Temperature dependent current and charge trapping in thick SiO/sub 2//ZrO/sub 2/ stacks

The influence of charge trapping on the temperature dependence of leakage through thick SiO/sub 2//ZrO/sub 2/ stacks is investigated. Charge trapping measurements as well as DC and pulsed I-V measurements are used, showing that an apparent strong temperature dependence of the leakage current can be explained by tunneling wherein temperature dependent trapped charge alters the effective barrier and therefore strongly influences the tunneling current. A weak temperature dependence of the current through these stacks is obtained with pulsed measurements.