Optoelectrical investigations on MOS-sandwiches at low temperatures

MOS-structures are irradiated with light of energy from 1.5 to 6 eV at different temperatures (300, 77, 12 K) while the resulting photocurrent is measured. At high photon energies (hv>4 eV) the threshold energy and the scattering mean free path for electrons at the Si — SiO₂-interface are determined. They are independent from temperature. At low photon energies (hv<3 ev)=" electrons=" are=" released=" from=" traps=" with=" energy=" levels=" 1.2=" and=" 1.9=" ev=" below=" the=" si-conduction=" band.=" the=" trap=" concentration=" is=" 4.8="> 10¹³ cm^–3. The capture cross section is measured in a rather direct way. The temperature and electrical field dependence of this cross section is explained by a trapping model.