The effect of charging of surface electron states on avalanche injection currents in the $Si—SiO_2$-metal system

The effect of charging of surface electron states in the $Si—SiO_2$-metal system on the transport of hot electrons from silicon to the oxide level during an avalanche breakdown in silicon has been studied. It is shown that the principal underlying mechanism of this effect is the "integral" change of the electric field produced in the space charge region of the semiconductor by charging the surface states. A new method of determination of the density of surface electron states is proposed. The method is based on measuring the dependence of the electron avalanche injection currents from the semiconductor to the oxide on the amplitude of depleting voltage pulses.