Relaxation of interface states and positive charge in thin gate oxide after Fowler–Nordheim stress

Fowler–Nordheim (F.N.) tunneling of electrons from the gate into thin thermally grown SiO2 under high electrical field stress has been performed with polycrystalline Si-SiO2-Si capacitors and relaxation of both interface state densities and flat-band voltage investigated during several months after F.N. stress at room temperature. It has been found that the relaxation behavior of surface states and positive charge densities follow fractional power laws in time.