The passivation, using H2, of Pb interface defects in thermally prepared (111)Si/SiO2 samples was studied over wide ranges of temperature and time. This revealed a non-exponential decay of [Pb] as a function of time. This contradicted the previously reported exponential behavior, and the latter was attributed to incorrect monitoring of [Pb] and to the limited ranges of temperature and time which had been used. The previously suggested defect-H2 reaction-limited model could still explain the data consistently if account were taken of an observed spread of 0.06eV around a nominal mean activation energy of 1.51eV; rather than the previously assumed single value of 1.66eV. The nominal pre-exponential factor was then in accord with the model. However, these results were expected to encourage the re-evaluation of other models that had been discarded on the basis of their prediction of non-exponential passivation.

A.Stesmans: Applied Physics Letters, 1996, 68[19], 2723-5