Evaluation of the potential distribution in a multiple stacked Si quantum dots structure by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

Six-fold stacked Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) structures with ultrathin SiO2 interlayers were formed on ultrathin SiO2 layer/n-Si substrates by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition using a SiH4 gas and their vertical electric potential distributions were evaluated using hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under a DC bias application to the semitransparent electrodes formed on the stacked Si-QDs structure. The Si1s photoelectron spectra due to Si–Si bonding units can be deconvoluted into seven components corresponding to the six Si-QDs layers and Si substrate. Obviously, the energy shift between the components for two adjacent dots layers becomes larger towards the upper side of the stacked dots structure. This result indicates that the electric field concentrates on the upper side and is consistent with the proposed model that can explain the ballistic electron emission characteristics from multiple stacked Si-QDs structures.