Physical model for trap-assisted inelastic tunneling in metal-oxide- semiconductor structures

A physical model for trap-assisted inelastic tunnel current through potential barriers in semiconductor structures has been developed. The model is based on the theory of multiphonon transitions between detrapped and trapped states and the only fitting parameters are those of the traps ~energy level and concentration! and the Huang–Rhys factor. Therefore, dependences of the trapping and detrapping processes on the bias, position, and temperature can be obtained with this model. The results of the model are compared with experimental data of stress induced leakage current in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The average energy loss has been obtained and an interpretation is given of the curves of average energy loss versus oxide voltage. This allows us to identify the entrance of the assisted tunnel current in the Fowler–Nordheim regime. In addition, the dependence of the tunnel current and average energy loss on the model parameters has been studied. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. @DOI: 10.1063/1.1398603#