Electron-beam-induced alteration of the dielectric properties of sandwiched self-assembled organic monolayers

Abstract

Electrical transport through octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayers sandwiched between a silicon substrate and an aluminum film was altered using electron-beams (e-beams) with different energies and doses. Under certain e-beam conditions, improvement of the dielectric performance was observed compared with the unmodified monolayers. This was ascribed to partial “healing” of the gauche defects within the alkyl chains under the electron flux. It was also possible to vary the barrier height between 2 and 2.35 eV, an effect attributed to the creation of amorphous carbon under prolonged exposure times. Factors that influenced these effects were identified and discussed.