Evidence that similar point defects cause 1/fnoise and radiation-induced-hole trapping in metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors

We have found that the 1/f-noise magnitude of unirradiated metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors correlates strikingly with the radiation-induced-hole trapping efficiency of the oxide (fOT). This suggests that the previously unidentified defect that causes 1/f noise in MOS transistors is linked to the radiation-induced-hole trap, the ``E' center,'' or to a direct precursor (likely a simple oxygen vacancy) known to be present in SiO₂ before irradiation. We derive a simple equation that relates the noise and fOT.