Thin SiO2 oxides implanted by very-low-energy (1 keV) Si ions and subsequently annealed are explored with regards to their potential as active elements of memory devices. Charge storage effects as a function of Si fluence are investigated through capacitance and channel current measurements. Capacitance–voltage and source–drain current versus gate voltage characteristics of devices implanted with a dose of 1×1016 cm−2 or lower exhibit clear hysteresis characteristics at low electric field. The observed fluence dependence of the device electrical properties is interpreted in terms of the implanted oxide structure.

Silicon nanocrystal formation in annealed silicon-rich silicon oxide films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Non‐volatile information storage using a molecular element comprising a proton‐conducting polymeric layer (PCL) and a proton‐trapping layer (PTL) is presented (see figure). Application of a positive voltage (write operation) to the top ion‐blocking electrode (IBE) allows dissociation of neutral (n) molecules into anions (−) and protons (+), motion and trapping (storage) of protons in the PTL. A negative voltage (erase operation) moves back the trapped protons to the anions.

We investigated the dependence of implantation dose on the charge storage characteristics of large-area n-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors with 1-keV Si+-implanted gate oxides. Gate bias and time-dependent source–drain current measurements are reported. Devices implanted with 1×1016 cm−2 Si dose exhibit a continuous (trap-like) charge storage process under both static and dynamic conditions. In contrast, for 2×1016 cm−2 implanted devices, electrons are stored in Si nanocrystals in discrete units at low gate voltages, as revealed by a periodic staircase plateau of the source–drain current with a low gate voltage sweep rate, and the step-like decrease of the time-dependent monitoring of the channel current. These observations of room-temperature single-electron storage effects support the pursuit of large-area devices operating on the basis of Coulomb blockade phenomena.