Single‐electron trapping and telegraph noise in μm‐sized MOSFETS

The microscopic trapping processes involved in 1/f noise are analyzed by studying the average switching times in the random telegraph signals of μm‐sized MOSFETs. The single‐electron transfer into and out of interface traps shows strongly temperature‐activated time constants. The results are interpreted by thermionic emission across the interface and by a free‐energy change in the capacitor system. The behavior is demonstrated on the example of two typical interface traps showsing differing time constant dependencies on the gate bias voltage. The key information is obtained from the trap energy shift with applying a substrate bias voltage to the MOSFET.