Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a reliable technique for probing material surface and interface characteristics. Here, we have demonstrated a non-destructive, contactless SHG-based semiconductor/dielectric interface characterization method to measure the conduction band offset and quantitatively evaluate charge densities at the interface in oxide and at the oxide surface. This technique extracts the interface-trapped charge type (donor/acceptor) and qualitatively analyzes the process-induced variation in interface states (Dit), oxide, and oxide surface state density. These qualitative and quantitative analyses provide us with a glimpse into the band bending. The metrology method is validated through a detailed characterization of the Si/HfO2 interface. An optical setup has been developed to monitor the time-dependent second-harmonic generation (TDSHG) from the semiconductor/oxide interface. The temporal characteristics of TDSHG are explained with its relationship to the filling of Dit and spatio-temporal trapping of photoexcited charge in oxide and at the oxide surface. A numerical solver, based on plausible carrier dynamics, is used to model the experimental data and to extract the electronic properties at the Si/HfO2 interface.
Keywords: band bending; band offset; carrier dynamics; contactless; non-destructive; oxide/semiconductor characterization; second-harmonic generation; trapped charge density.