A means to study reliability based defects in fully processed devices utilizing zero-field spin dependent transport

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) are extremely useful techniques that are capable of defect detection in semiconductor structures and fully processed devices, respectively. The complexity of conventional EPR and EDMR spectrometers involves utilization of strong (>3000 G) highly uniform magnetic fields (B₀) and high frequency (typically 9 GHz) oscillating magnetic fields (B₁) or higher. These components are typically expensive and heavy. In this study, we directly demonstrate that, in the absence of both an oscillating magnetic field and a large static magnetic field, spin dependent recombination (SDR) and spin dependent tunneling (SDT) can be detected at zero magnetic field. In this zero-field detection scheme, hyperfine interactions can be detected which allow for the physical identification of the defects responsible for SDR and SDT. However, we sacrifice the evaluation of a resonance parameter, the g-value. We observe the zero-field phenomenon in multiple solid state electronic components including MOSFETs, BJTs, diodes, and capacitors suggesting its usefulness for semiconducting manufacturers to incorporate simple automated low-field/zero-field EDMR spectrometers into wafer fabrication/probing equipment to study the defects in solid-state electronics during fabrication. Because only very low fields are required, low field EDMR can be performed easily and inexpensively.