Evaluation of the Si-SiO2 Interface by the Measurement of the Surface Recombination Velocity S by the Dual-Mercury Probe Method

Abstract
A novel evaluation technique of the surface recombination velocity S at the Si-SiO2 interface based on the dual-mercury probe method is proposed. It is shown that the experimentally obtainable S takes an extremely low value of less than 10 cm/s under both accumulation and inversion surface conditions whether high D it exists or not, and the S has a pyramidlike peak from the weak inversion condition to the weak accumulation condition. These experimental results indicate that strong band bending at the interface and a well-prepared interface are quite effective in reducing the surface carrier recombination.