A high density of defect states in the SiO2 near the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface (D-NIT > 10(12)cm(-2)eV(-1)) is observed in 4H-SiC/MOS capacitors in the energy region close to the SiC conduction band. These states are capable of trapping considerable density of electrons from the SiC. The mean activation energy of electron emission from these traps is determined to be DeltaE(NIT) = (200+/-40)meV. It is likely that the observed near-interface traps are responsible for the reduced electron mobility in the inversion channel of 4H-SiC MOS-FETs.