Analyzing conductance-frequency curves of metal-insulator-semiconductor structures subject to surface-potential fluctuations and electrically active states inside the insulator

For metal-insulator-semiconductor structures, a technique is described of analyzing the normalized conductance measured as a function of frequency with regard to the random variation of surface potential and the presence of electrically active states inside the insulator. Parameters are selected that are to be used in evaluating the amount by which the conductance-frequency characteristic is broadened. Analytical expressions are derived for the parameters. A method is proposed for separating the respective contributions of the tunneling and fluctuation mechanisms of the broadening. It enables one to evaluate the depth of the electrically active states and the variance of the surface potential when the two factors make comparable contributions to the inhomogeneity of the insulator-semiconductor interface.