Electron spin resonance evidence that E'γ centers can behave as switching oxide traps

The authors provide direct and unambiguous experimental spectroscopic evidence for the structure of a switching oxide trap in thermally grown SiO2 gate oxides on Si. Switching oxide traps can switch charge state in response to changes in the voltage applied to the gate of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor. Electron spin resonance measurements reveal that some E'γ centers (a hole trapped at an oxygen vacancy) can behave as switching oxide traps. For reasons discussed in a cited reference, the authors use the term switching oxide trap to refer to the defects responsible for the post-irradiation switching phenomena