Two-terminal charge-trapping WORM memory device using anodic aluminum oxide.

A two terminal write-once-read-many-times (WORM) memory device based on charge trapping near the interface of anodic aluminum oxide and p+Si is demonstrated. An investigation of the memory properties as a function of the interface morphology is presented. A memory window, defined as the ratio of current before and after the application of a given "write" pulse, of the order of 100 was demonstrated for the best devices studied. The devices also exhibited good stability with time both in terms of retention and in terms of measuring cycles in the "written" state. A variation of the results by less than 10% over 50 measured devices is reported. The current through the devices is analyzed and the mechanisms behind the observed behavior are discussed in detail.

Self-assembled hexagonal ordering of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO(2) nanodots.

Highly dense hexagonally ordered two-dimensional arrays of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO(2) nanodots were fabricated on a silicon substrate by using a self-assembled porous anodic alumina thin film as a masking layer through which electrochemical oxidation of the Si substrate and ultralow energy Si implantation took place. After removal of the alumina film and high temperature annealing of the samples, hexagonally ordered Si nanocrystals embedded within SiO(2) nanodots were obtained, having sizes in the few tens of nanometer range. The fabricated ordered structures show significant potential for applications either in basic physics experiments or as building blocks for nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices.

Ge quantum dot memory structure with laterally ordered highly dense arrays of Ge dots.

This work was devoted to the development of a Ge quantum dot memory structure of a MOSFET type with laterally ordered Ge quantum dots within the gate dielectric stack. Lateral ordering of the Ge dots was achieved by the combination of the following technological steps: (a) use of a focused ion beam (FIB) to create ordered two-dimensional arrays of regular holes on a field oxide on the silicon substrate, (b) chemical cleaning and restoring of the Si surface in the holes, (c) further oxidation to transfer the pattern from the field oxide to the silicon substrate, (d) removal of the field oxide and thermal re-oxidation of the sample in order to create a tunneling oxide of homogeneous thickness on the patterned silicon surface, and (e) self-assembly of the two-dimensional arrays of Ge dots on the patterned tunneling oxide. The charging properties of the obtained memory structure were characterized by electrical measurements. Charging of the Ge quantum dot layer by electrons injected from the substrate resulted in a large shift in the capacitance-voltage curves of the MOS structure. Charges were stored in deep traps in the charging layer, and consequently the erasing process was difficult, resulting in a limited memory window. The advantages of controlled positioning of the quantum dots in the charging layer will be discussed.

Two-silicon-nanocrystal layer memory structure with improved retention characteristics.

It was demonstrated in the literature that the use of self-aligned doubly-stacked Si dots improves retention characteristics of a nanocrystal memory. In this paper, we show that a similar effect may be obtained by using two distinct layers of silicon nanocrystals within the gate dielectric of the MOS structure, if the nanocrystal density in each layer is high enough (above 10(12) dots/cm2) so as to get an average effect of at least one smaller dot underneath each larger one. The relative distance of the layers and their position from the silicon substrate and the gate metal are critical for optimum memory operation. Two different double-nanocrystal-layer structures were investigated. In the first structure the two nanocrystal layers were close together and they were composed of dots of different size (lower layer: 3 nm, upper layer: 5 nm), while in the second structure the dot layers were composed of dots of equal diameter (d = 3 nm) and their inter-distance was much larger. In both cases, the retention characteristics of the structure were improved compared with a single dot layer structure. In the second case this improvement was significantly larger than in the first case. Extrapolation of the data to ten years memory operation, showed that the charge loss after this time was only approximately 12%.

Structural study of very thin anodic alumina films on silicon by anodization in citric acid aqueous solution.

The formation of thin alumina films on a silicon substrate by anodization in a mild acid, specifically in 1% wt citric acid aqueous solution, is investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We present a comparative study between two cases of starting material: pure aluminum and an alloy of aluminum with 1% silicon. In both cases the thickness of the Al layer was less than 50 nm. It was observed that under exactly the same conditions, in the first case the anodization was stopping before anodizing the whole film and a remaining non-anodized Al layer was always present, while in the second case, the Al layer was fully anodized, resulting in an alumina matrix with a very high density of silicon nanocrystals of uniform sizes embedded in it. In both cases the alumina film was compact and amorphous.

Influence of magnetic field on electromagnetic instabilities in semiconductor superlattices.

Electromagnetic instability criteria in semiconductor superlattices (SL) in the region of a negative differential conductivity (NDC) are studied in the presence of a static transverse field. The regimes with vertical constant electric field in a "short" plate of SL and with vertical current density vector in a "long" plate are considered. The effective differential conductivity tensors for both these regimes are derived and the influence of the magnetic field on the NDC threshold and the growth increment is investigated. The frequencies of the excited waves and the dependence of the growth increment on the direction of propagation for the extraordinary waves are determined.

Electromagnetic instability of surface waves in semiconductor superlattices.

It is shown that in semiconductor superlattices surface electromagnetic waves traveling in the direction parallel to the external static electric field may become unstable. This instability manifests itself in the emission of electromagnetic waves. The instability criteria are derived, and the frequency as well as the growth increment and the direction of the emitted waves are determined.