Charge trapping centers in N-rich silicon nitride thin films

We have examined the behavior of the Si dangling-bond center in regard to charge trapping in N-rich amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride thin films. The effects of multiple electron and hole injections were monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance. These results continue to support a model in which the Si dangling bond is a negative U defect in N-rich nitrides, and that a change in charge state of pre-existing diamagnetic positively and negatively charged sites is responsible for the memory properties of silicon nitride thin films.