Effect of the discharging and recharging of the stress generated oxide charge in metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors on the low field leakage current

Low field leakage currents, through thin gate oxides of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors, increase after negative high field stress. We have observed that this increase could be reduced and even suppressed if the trapped holes created by the stress were neutralized by application of low voltage pulses. We have also observed that these pulses had the effect of making the recharge of the stress created slow states more and more difficult.