Hole Removal in Thin-Gate MOSFETs by Tunneling

Fast time-resolved measurements of the response of thin-oxide MOSFETs show that radiation-induced holes are removed from the gate oxide by a tunneling process. A tunneling rate of 0.35 nm/decade from each interface is found for SiO2 at 77 K. Fast time-resolved measurements performed at room temperature are in qualitative agreement with low-temperature annealing data. Uncertainties in the room-temperature data did not allow extraction of firm and reliable values for the tunneling parameters.