Metal–insulator–semiconductor structures with a layer of silicon nanocrystals embedded within the SiO2 layer at a tunneling distance from a p-type silicon substrate and fabricated using chemical vapor deposition, oxidation, and annealing, exhibited charge trapping, determined from the capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics, which abruptly increased at fields above 2.5 MV/cm. Electrons or holes are trapped when biasing the structure into inversion or accumulation, respectively, and retention of trapped charge is demonstrated. The I–V characteristics exhibit an N-shaped form, indicating screening effects due to charging; an initial current spike, attributed to transient charging of nanocrystals, occurs at the same voltage causing abrupt C–V shift increase, with Fowler–Nordheim current rising at higher voltages. These structures are promising for memory device applications.

Si/SiO 2 superlattices on oxidized silicon wafers were fabricated by successive cycles of silicon deposition and high-temperature thermal oxidation. Silicon films were deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition at 580 °C. As-deposited silicon was amorphous, and it exhibited two weak photoluminescence (PL) peaks in the visible range, a stable one at ≅650 nm and an unstable one at 530–550 nm. By oxidation at 900 °C, a drastic increase of the stable PL peak was observed with an initial redshift from 650 to 800–900 nm and a subsequent blueshift down to 680–700 nm. Its position and intensity depended on the oxidation time. For prolonged oxidation, PL disappeared. The observed PL is attributed to silicon crystallites passivated by oxygen. Localized states at the Si/SiO2 interface limit the emitted wavelength. The PL peak from superlattices was at the same position as from one bilayer, while a superlinear increase in PL intensity was observed by increasing the number of bilayers.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract