Charge phenomena in thermal SiO/sub 2/ films with avalanche injection of electrons

The authors study the processes which take place during avalanche injection (AI) of electrons from the semiconductor into the SiO/sub 2/ film prepared in a gaseous N/sub 2/ + H/sub 2/O mixture at 1275/sup 0/K and in dry oxygen at 1425/sup 0/K. The AI was accomplished by needle-shaped pulses with a linear rising edge, a duration 0.7 micro-sec, and an exponential decay. The value of the charge in the oxide in the AI process was monitored by the voltage deviation of the planar zone as well as by the change of the I-V characteristics of the photoinjection current of electrons from the silicon and the Al electrode.