Abstract
Charge-storage effects in a metal-insulator-semi-conductor device containing germanium (Ge) nano-crystals were investigated. The Ge nano-crystals were formed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of an evaporated, ultra-thin Ge layer at 1000 °C in argon. Capacitance–voltage measurements shows that the amount of electrical charge which can be stored in the device varies with the duration of the RTA treatment. The charge shows a maximum value for 200 s RTA treatment, and then decreases with longer annealing time up to 400 s. Atomic force microscopy analysis indicates that there is a correlation between the density of Ge nano-crystals in the devices, and the amount of electrical charge stored. For an RTA treatment of 300 s, capacitance–time measurements show a time dependence, which indicates a dispersive carrier relaxation. The retention time is dependent on the applied bias, and a maximum retention time of ∼115 s was observed at -7 V. The value of the stored electrical charges in the device decreases with increasing ambient temperature. A possible charging/discharging mechanism for the device was discussed to explain the capacitance–time measurements and the temperature stored charge results.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Tiwari, F. Rana, H. Hanafi, A. Hartstein, E.F. Crabbe, K. Chan: Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 1377 (1996)
Y. Shi, K. Saito, H. Ishikuro, T. Hiramoto: J. Appl. Phys. 84, 2358 (1998)
S.-H. Choi, R.G. Elliman: Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 968 (1999)
E. Kapetanakis, P. Normand, D. Tsoukalas, K. Beltsios, J. Stoemenos, S. Zhang, J. van den Berg: Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 3450 (2000)
Y. Kim, K.H. Park, T.H. Chung, H.J. Bark, J.-Y. Yi, W.C. Choi, E.K. Kim, J.W. Lee, J.Y. Lee: Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 934 (2001)
M.L. Ostraat, J.W. De Blauwe, M.L. Green, L.D. Bell, M.L. Brongersma, J. Casperson, R.C. Flagan, H.A. Atwater: Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 433 (2001)
H. Kim, S. Han, K. Han, J. Lee, H. Shin: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 40, 447 (2000)
A. Dutta, Y. Hayafune, S. Oda: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 39, L855 (2000)
T. Kobayashi, T. Endoh, H. Fukuda, S. Nomura, A. Sakai, Y. Ueda: Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 1195 (1997)
Y. Inoue, M. Fujii, S. Hayashi, K. Yamamoto: Solid State Electron. 42, 1605 (1998)
Y.-C. King, T.-J. King, C.M. Hu: IEEE Trans. Electron. Devices 48, 696 (2001)
H. Fukuda, S. Sakuma, T. Yamada, S. Nomura, M. Nishino, T. Higuchi, S. Ohshima: J. Appl. Phys. 90, 3524 (2001)
A. Kanjilal, J. Lundsgaard Hansen, P. Gaiduk, A. Nylandsted Larsen, N. Cherkashin, A. Claverie, P. Normand, E. Kapelanakis, D. Skarlatos, D. Tsoukalas: Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 1212 (2003)
W.K. Choi, W.K. Chim, C.L. Heng, L.W. Teo, V. Ho, V. Ng, D.A. Antoniadis, E.A. Fitzgerald: Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 2014 (2002)
L.W. Teo, W.K. Choi, W.K. Chim, V. Ho, C.M. Moey, M.S. Tay, C.L. Heng, Y. Lei, D.A. Antoniadis, E.A. Fitzgerald: Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3639 (2002)
Y. Maeda: Phys. Rev. B 51, 1658 (1995)
W. Ostwald: Z. Phys. Chem. (Leipzig) 34, 495 (1890)
L. Tsybeskov, G.F. Grom, M. Jungo, L. Montes, P.M. Fauchet, J.P. McCaffrey, J.-M. Baribeau, G.I. Sproule, D.J. Lockwood: Mater. Sci. Eng. B 69–70, 303 (2000)
P. Rao, E.A. Schiff, L. Tsybeskov, P.M. Fauchet: In: Advances in Microcrystalline and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors-1996, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 454, 613 (1997)
S. Tiwari, F. Rana, K. Chan, L. Shi, H. Hanafi: Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1232 (1996)
Y.M. Niquet, G. Allan, C. Delerue, M. Lannoo: Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 1182 (2000)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
81.07.Ta; 81.15.Jj; 73.63.Kv; 85.35.Be; 81.40.Ef
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heng, C., Tjiu, W. & Finstad, T. Charge-storage effects in a metal-insulator-semi-conductor structure containing germanium nano-crystals formed by rapid thermal annealing of an electron-beam evaporated germanium layer. Appl. Phys. A 78, 1181–1186 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2482-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2482-0