Meaning
Unwanted electrical conduction path that forms at the interface between the buried oxide and the handle substrate of a silicon-on-insulator wafer degrades the isolation of the substrate. This parasitic surface conduction is driven by positive fixed charges within the thermal oxide that attract a mobile layer of electrons. The effect is bounded by the density of the fixed oxide charges and the doping concentration of the silicon substrate, which determine the threshold voltage required to initiate inversion or accumulation.
Signal Loss
High-frequency signals propagating through passive lines on the wafer induce currents in this conductive channel. This results in significant power loss and increases the attenuation of transmission lines. Minimizing this effect is critical for high-efficiency radio-frequency switches.
Distortion Source
The voltage-dependent nature of the induced charge layer introduces non-linearities into the substrate response. This leads to the generation of unwanted harmonic signals under high-power transmission. Introducing a trap-rich layer beneath the buried oxide is the primary method used to disable this conduction mechanism.
Trap Mechanism
Polysilicon films deposited below the oxide contain a high density of defects that capture the attracted mobile carriers. This immobilizes the carriers and prevents them from forming a continuous conduction channel. The high effective resistivity of the substrate is thereby maintained even under high-voltage bias.