Effect of charge storage in silicon nanocrystals on needle-like nano-structure for non-volatile memory

Abstract

In this work, metal-lnsulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices with silicon nitride film as insulator layer have been fabricated on needle-like nano-structures, which can be applicable to non-volatile memory device with increased charge storage capacity over planar structures. We have already reported surface morphologies of needle-like structures and existence of nanocrystals in silicon nitride layer using photoluminescence (PL). In this paper, memory effects are demonstrated by electronic properties of MIS devices with substrate of nano structure. Window sizes of capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics in MIS devices on substrates of nano-structure are formed to increase compared to that in MIS device fabricated on planar structure. Therefore, a non-volatile memory device with increased charge storage capacity over planar structure can be realized with the nano-structure.