Optical second-harmonic generation induced by a dc electric field at the Si-SiO(2) interface

Area of Science:

• Solid-state physics
• Materials science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process.
• The silicon-silicon dioxide (Si-SiO2) interface is crucial for semiconductor devices.
• Studying electric-field effects at interfaces is important for device physics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) at the Si-SiO2 interface for the first time.
• To analyze the crystallographic anisotropy of this electroinduced SHG phenomenon.
• To evaluate the utility of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures for studying such effects.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure to apply a DC electric field across the Si-SiO2 interface.
• Measuring optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) under applied electric fields.
• Examining the dependence of SHG on crystallographic orientation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated electric-field-induced SHG at the Si-SiO2 interface using MOS structures.
• Observed and studied the crystallographic anisotropy of the electroinduced SHG.
• Confirmed the effectiveness of the MOS technique for investigating electroinduced effects on SHG.

Conclusions:

• The application of electric fields to the Si-SiO2 interface via MOS structures is a viable method for studying electric-field-induced SHG.
• The phenomenon exhibits crystallographic anisotropy, providing insights into interface properties.
• This technique offers a new avenue for characterizing electrooptical effects at semiconductor interfaces.