The role of interface states in hydrogen-annealing-induced mobile proton generation at the Si–SiO2 interface

It is demonstrated that a 450 °C anneal in hydrogen, known to passivate traps at the Si–SiO2 interface, can impede the generation of mobile protons during a subsequent hydrogen anneal at 600 °C. We further present a detailed reaction and diffusion model for the mobile proton buildup in the buried oxide of Si–SiO2–Si capacitors during a hydrogen anneal at 600 °C. In this model, unpassivated interface traps, located at and near the physical edges of the capacitor area, play a key role during the initial stages of the proton generation process. The mobile protons are generated near these edges and diffuse laterally along the Si–SiO2 interface.