Electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the interfaces between Si(100) and the high-k dielectrics Al2O3 and ZrO2 grown by atomic layer deposition, with or without the native oxide removed. The experimental results show that the dominant electrically active defects at these interfaces were an isotropic center, typical of the disordered Si dangling bond, and a trigonal center, Pb0-like, known from the Si/SiO2 interface. This showed that the paramagnetic defects also at nominally abrupt interfaces between Si and these high-k dielectrics were Si/SiO2-like. Deconvolution showed that the difference between g and g|| for the Si/ZrO2 interfaces was slightly larger then for the Si/Al2O3 interfaces.

Investigation of Point Defects at the High-k Oxides/Si(100) Interface by Electrically Detected Magnetic Resonance. S.Baldovino, S.Nokhrin, G.Scarel, M.Fanciulli, T.Graf, M.S.Brandt: Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2003, 322[1-3], 168-73