Charging mechanism in a SiO[sub 2] matrix embedded with Si nanocrystals

Liu, Yang, Chen, Tu Pei, Ding, L., Zhang, Sam, Fu, Yong Qing and Fung, Steve (2006) Charging mechanism in a SiO[sub 2] matrix embedded with Si nanocrystals. Journal of Applied Physics, 100 (9). 096111. ISSN 0021 8979

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Abstract

One of the applications of a Si nanocrystals (nc-Si) embedded in a SiO2 matrix is in the area of nonvolatile memory devices based on the charge storage in the material system. However, whether the charge trapping mainly occurs at the nc-Si∕SiO2 interface or in the nc-Si is still unclear. In this work, by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy analysis of the Si 2p peaks, the concentrations of both the nc-Si and the Si suboxides that exist at the nc-Si∕SiO2 interface are determined as a function of thermal annealing, and the charging effect is also measured by monitoring the shift of the surface C 1s peak. It is observed that the annealing-caused reduction of the total concentration of the interfacial suboxides is much faster than that of both the C 1s shift and the nc-Si concentration. In addition, the trend of the C 1s shift coincides with that of the nc-Si concentration. The results suggest that the Si nanocrystal, rather than the nc-Si∕SiO2 interface, plays the dominant role in the charging effect.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	F200 Materials Science
Department:	Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2015 09:35
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 19:06
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/21871

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