Researchers at NIST and collaborators have developed a new method to detect and count defects in transistors, which are crucial for semiconductor performance and reliability. The method, called electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) combined with bipolar amplification effect (BAE), allows scientists to identify not only the type of defect but the number of them in a given space with a simple DC measurement.
The research focuses on interactions between electrons and holes in a transistor’s channel, a region about 1 billionth of a meter thick and a millionth of a meter long. By applying specific bias voltages and measuring current levels, researchers can eliminate interference from other parts of the transistor and focus on defects in the channel. The new model enables BAE as a tool to quantitatively measure the number of defects and to do so with just currents and voltages.
This technique could provide unique insight into the presence of destabilizing transistor defects and a path to mechanistic understanding of their formation, potentially leading to better performing products and improved transistor performance and reliability.
Keywords: impurity, semiconductor, defects, transistor, interface
