Single Electron Transfer from the Channel of a Sub-μm Mosfet to an Individual Interface Trap

Random telegraph switching (RTS) of the source-drain current in μm-sized MOSTFETs provides a unique opportunity to study the trapping of mobile charge carriers in the channel into individual defect centers at the SiO2-Si interface1,2. The present understanding of RTS was reviewed inseveral recent papers3–5.The interface states causing the RTS reside in the oxide a few nanometers away from the interface to silicon. Most frequently only a single electron or hole is captured and re-emitted by these states from or to the MOS channel. It has been shown that the 1/f-noise is generated through a superposition of RTSs of many individual interface defects6,4.