Measurement of depth and energy of buried trap states in dielectric films by single electron tunneling force spectroscopy

Electronic trap states in dielectric materials critically influence the reliability and performance of electronic devices. A method to characterize such states with atomic scale spatial resolution is presented. The method is based on tunneling charge measurements, performed at different voltages and tip-sample gaps, and a tunneling model. When combined with previously demonstrated two-dimensional trap state imaging, this method will provide for three-dimensional imaging of electronic defect states in dielectrics with atomic scale spatial resolution.