The static and dynamic properties of interface states between silicon nitride andn‐GaAs have been studied. Comparisons have been made between interfaces that were untreated and ones which were plasma pretreated with Ar, N2, H2, and NH3. With the exception of hydrogen the pretreatments did not significantly alter the quiescent surface Fermi level position or the shape of the interface state distribution in the metal‐insulator‐semiconductor field effect transistor test structures. In all of the samples it required about 10 &mgr;s to complete the transfer of the induced charge from the bulk edge of the depletion region to the interface. Charge which had reached the interface equilibrated there within 100 ns. This charge gave rise to a relatively slow emission transient and had a thermal emission energy consistent with emission from the surface Fermi energy to the lower edge of an interface state band, in accord with the interface state band model. The extent in energy of this band depended on the surface treatment. The insensitivity of the emission time constant to both filling time and insulator electric field suggests that irrespective of the treatment the equilibrated charge remained at the interface and did not tunnel into the insulator. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.