Photo-carrier generation as the origin of Fowler-Nordheim-induced substrate hole current in thin oxides

The origin of the FN-induced substrate hole current is re-investigated in more detail. It is unambiguously demonstrated that not the anode hole injection, but the generation of electron-hole pairs in the substrate by FN-induced photons in the gate is the dominant source of the substrate hole current in thin oxides, Consequently, the generally accepted explanation of oxide degradation based on the anode hole explanation of the substrate current by the anode hole injection model has to be revised.