A noncontact method to study the charge state of the semiconductor-insulator interface

We present a method for investigating the charge state of the semiconductor-insulator interface using the measurements of the contact potential difference between the surface of the insulator film and a vibrating probe. In this method, the surface electrostatic potential is changed through charge variation at the outer surface of the insulator. The charge value is determined by the time of the structure exposure to a corona discharge. The method is applied for investigating the effect of exposure of a silicon-silicon dioxide system to radiation and pulse magnetic fields.