Electrical activity of interfacial paramagnetic defects in thermal (100)Si/SiO2

The correlation between the detrimental electrically active interface traps and the electron-spin-resonance-active point defects $P_{b0\mathrm{}}$ and $P_{b1\mathrm{}}$ (unpaired Si orbitals) was studied through controlled variation, both relatively and absolutely, of the defect bath densities. Unlike previous inference, no electrical activity of $P_{b1\mathrm{}}$ as an interface state could be traced, thus questioning its relevance for device fabrication, while all $P_{b0\mathrm{}}$’s appear active. A fundamental reason is inferred as to why the (100) Si surface dominates device fabrication.