Semiconductor surface passivation

A review is presented of the current status and the chronological evolution of the technology of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures including homomorphic surface oxides and synthetic, heteromorphic insulating layers used for the surface passivation of elemental and compound semiconductor surfaces. In particular, the nature of dielectric—semiconductor interface states and their position within the fundamental semiconductor bandgap, subject to technological modification, determine to a large extent the experimentally observed differences between the MIS properties of silicon and other semiconductors and their real and potential device applications.