Confocal microscopy of electrostatic properties of Si quantum dots and silica surfaces by charge-sensitive dye molecules

An aminonaphthylethenylpyridinium dye (ANEPPS) has been used to investigate the photoinduced charging of SiO₂ surfaces via fluorescence shifts. Confocal microscopy allows for a localization of the charge distributions of better than 250 nm. The surface becomes negatively charged upon photoexcitation. This effect is enhanced by silicon nanocrystals (quantum dots) of less than 20 nm in diameter. Experiments suggest that ANEPPS occupies the SiO₂ surface in an oriented way.     

Image contrast enhancement in field-emission scanning electron microscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes

The image contrast enhancement in scanning electron microscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on SiO₂ surfaces was experimentally investigated using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) using a wide range of primary electron (PE) voltages. SWNT images of different contrasts were obtained at different PE voltages. Image contrast enhancement of SWNTs was investigated by charging SiO₂ surfaces at different PE voltages. The phenomena are ascribed to the surface potential difference and charge injection between SWNTs and SiO₂ substrates induced by the electron-beam irradiation.     

Research on Electron Emission from Dielectric Materials by a Monte Carlo Method

The charge accumulation in an insulating material under an electron beam bombardment exerts a significant influence to scanning electron microscopic imaging. This work investigates the charging formation process by a self-consistent Monte Carlo simulation of charge production and transportation based on a charge dynamics model. The charging effect in a semi-infinite SiO₂ bulk and SiO₂ trapezoidal lines on a SiO₂ or Si substrate has been studied. We used two methods to calculate the spatial distributions of electric potential and electric field for two different systems respectively: the image charge method was used to deal with a semi-infinite bulk, and, random walk method to solve the Poisson equation for a complex geometric structure. The dynamic charging behavior depending on irradiation time has been investigated for SiO₂. The simulated CD-SEM images of SiO₂ trapezoidal lines with charging effect included were compared well with experimental results, showing the contrast change of SEM image along with scanning frames due to charging.     

A study of the charging and dissociation of SiO2 Surfaces by AES

AES is used to determine the initial spectrum of a vacuum-broken SiO₂ surface and to follow its dissociation under the electron beam probe. Both Auger peaks heights and energies are affected by the irradiation. The change in stoichiometry is accompanied by a decrease of the surface charge by 5–8 V. The relation between stoichiometry and charge is explained by the influence of radiation-induced defects on secondary electron emission. The reduction of SiO₂ is characterized in terms of irradiation dose, dissociation cross-section and electron impact efficiency. Resistance to radiation damage is increased by surface carbon contamination. The chemical contribution to the Auger peak energy can be distinguished from the charging effect leading to a shift between element and compound of 12 eV for the silicon peak.     

Silicon based polytetrafluoroethylene electrets: Preparation and corona charging characteristics

In this paper, silicon based planar technology and high performance fluorocarbon polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are combined to achieve PTFE thin film electrets on wafer. The PTFE film is fabricated onto SiO₂ substrates and Pt substrates using spin coating and annealing processes, and its electret effect is demonstrated using negative corona charging method. PTFE electrets with different surface morphology exhibit different charge storage capability. Maximally, surface potential of ?396 V is achieved on Pt substrates and ?361 V is achieved on SiO₂ substrates. The average retain rate of surface potential over 240 h is 90.6% for Pt substrates and 76.3% for SiO₂ substrates. The proposed method presents the primary step toward integrated electrostatic devices.     

Electron-beam charging of dielectrics preirradiated with moderate-energy ions and electrons

The effects of charging of dielectric targets irradiated with moderate-energy electrons in a scanning electron microscope are examined. Considerable differences in the kinetics of charging of the reference samples and the samples preirradiated with ions and electrons are reported. These differences are attributed to the processes of radiation-induced defect formation in Al₂O₃ (sapphire) and SiO₂ that are, however, dissimilar in nature. The contributions of surface structure modification and changes in the electrophysical parameters of the surface (specifically, the charge spreading effect) are revealed. Critical doses of irradiation with Ar⁺ ions and electrons inducing active defect formation in dielectric targets and critical values of internal charge fields producing a significant contribution to the temporal parameters of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ charging are determined.     

A hybrid model for the charging process of the amorphous SiO2 film in radio frequency microelectromechanical system capacitive switches

Charging is one of the most important reliability issues in radio frequency microelectro-mechanical systems(RF MEMS) capacitive switches since it makes the actuation voltage unstable.This paper proposes a hybrid model to describe the transient dielectric charging and discharging process in the defect-rich amorphous SiO 2 RF MEMS capacitive switches and verifies experimentally.The hybrid model contains two parts according to two different charging mechanisms of the amorphous SiO 2,which are the polarisation and charge injection.The models for polarisation and for charge injection are established,respectively.Analysis and experimental results show that polarisation is always effective,while the charge injection has a threshold electric field to the amorphous SiO 2 film.Under different control voltage conditions,the hybrid model can accurately describe the experimental data.     

Study of asymmetric charge writing on Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films by Kelvin probe force microscopy

Polycrystalline Pb(Zr_0.55Ti_0.45)O₃ thin film was deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) by radio-frequency-magnetron sputtering method, and the writing of charge bits on the surface of PZT thin film was studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy. It is found that the surface potential of the negative charge bits are higher than those of the corresponding positive ones. When ferroelectric polarization switching occurs, the potential difference becomes even more remarkable. A qualitative model was proposed to explain the origin of the asymmetric charge writing. It is demonstrated that the internal field in the interface layer, which is near the ferroelectric/electrode interface in ferroelectric film, is likely to be the cause for the occurrence of this phenomenon.     

Behavior of charges locally injected into nanothin high-k SmScO3 dielectric

The behavior of charges locally injected from the probe of an atomic force microscope into nanothin films of high-k SmScO₃ dielectric deposited on a silicon substrate is studied by the method of Kelvin probe force microscopy. Prior to examination, the films were annealed at different temperatures. At temperatures above 900°C, the amorphous as-prepared films exhibit polycrystalline inclusions. In the films annealed at 900°C, the injected charge persists for a long time that several tens of times exceeds the charge retention time observed when conventional dielectrics, such as SiO₂ and Si₃N₄, are used. In addition, the diffusion of carriers in the plane of the dielectric layers sharply slows down.     

In situ measurement of plasma charging on SiO2 hole bottoms and reduction by negative charge injection during etching

Charging damage in the fabrication of a micro- and nanoelectronic device is one of the electrical damages during plasma etching and caused basically by a huge difference of the flux velocity distribution between positive ions and electrons toward the wafer to be processed. Beam-like positive ions are accumulated on the bottom of a miniaturized structure during etching. With the evolution of the technology node, charging damage will increase due to several factors, increase of plasma exposure time, decrease of annealing temperature, and narrow process window, etc., caused by the increase of the number of metal layers and the introduction of new materials such as low-k and high-k instead of SiO₂. The progress of a top-down nanotechnology depends on the development of in situ diagnostics regarding plasma damage to lower-level elements and on the development of charging-free plasma process. In this paper, in situ charging measurements by using a test chip and negative charge injection to the wafer by optical computerized tomography are first demonstrated. Second, we discuss the characteristics of the charging potential on the bottom of SiO₂holes during etching in a two-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (2f-CCP), and refer to the procedure to reduce the positive potential by utilizing the negative charge acceleration to the hole bottom under the artificial formation of a double-layer close to the wafer. In addition, the charging’s effect on the aspect ratio of the hole and the antenna ratio are discussed.     

控制氧化层对双势垒纳米硅浮栅存储结构性能的影响

在等离子体增强化学气相沉积(PECVD)系统中,利用逐层淀积非晶硅(a-Si)和等离子体氧化相结合的方法制备二氧化硅(SiO₂)介质层.电容电压(C-V)和电导电压(G-V)测量结果表明：利用该方法在低温(250 ℃)条件下制备的SiO₂介质层均匀致密,其固定氧化物电荷和界面态密度分别为9×10¹¹cm^-2和2×10¹¹cm^-2·eV^-1,击穿场强达4.6 MV/cm,与热氧化形成的SiO₂介质层的性质相当.将该SiO₂介质层作为控制氧化层应用在双势垒纳米硅(nc-Si)浮栅存储结构中,通过调节控制氧化层的厚度,有效阻止栅电极与nc-Si之间的电荷交换,延长存储时间,使存储性能得到明显改善. 关键词： 等离子体氧化 二氧化硅 纳米硅 控制氧化层     

Structure, morphology and optical properties of SiO2−x thin films prepared by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

The amorphous silicon oxide SiO_2−x thin films were prepared by the plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-VIS-NIR scanning spectrophotometry and ellipsometry were used to characterize the crystallinity, microscopic morphology and optical properties of obtained thin films. The influences of substrate temperatures, oxygen partial pressures and oxygen plasma assistance on the compositions of silicon oxide (SiO_2−x) thin films were investigated. Results show that the deposited thin films are amorphous and have high surface quality. Stoichiometric silicon dioxide (SiO₂) thin film can be obtained at elevated temperature of 200 °C in an oxygen plasma-assisted atmosphere. Using normal incidence transmittance, a novel and simple method has been proposed to evaluate the value of x in transparent SiO_2−x thin films on a non-absorbing flat substrate.     

Electron and ion beam effects in auger electron spectroscopy on insulating materials

Some insulating films—like SiO₂, P-doped SiO₂, B-doped SiO₂, K-silica glasses, SiaN₄, and alumina—are of primary interest in silicon device technology. In this work the main problems concerning the electron and ion beam interactions with these materials when performing Auger analyses are outlined. A few examples of radiation effects are provided. Among these, electron stimulated desorption as well as ion beam induced adsorption and oxide reduction are treated in some detail. General trends in avoiding charging problems with Auger Electron Spectroscopy are provided.     

Study of resonant tunneling in Au nanoclusters on the surface of SiO2/Si thin films using the combined scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic-force microscopy technique

The morphology and electronic properties of Au nanoclusters on the surface of SiO₂ thin films on n ⁺-Si substrates are studied using the combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) technique. The peaks associated with the resonant tunneling of electrons from the states of the valence band of the probe material to the states of the conduction band of the substrate material through Au nanoclusters are observed on the current-voltage characteristics for the contact of a p ⁺-Si AFM probe with Au nanoclusters. Experimental results are interpreted by calculating the tunnel transparency of the SiO₂/Au/SiO₂ double barrier structure in a strong electric field.     

Electrical behavior of size-controlled Si nanocrystals arranged as single layers

A metal–oxide–semiconductor structure containing a single layer of size-controlled silicon nanocrystals embedded into gate oxide was fabricated. Size control for the silicon nanocrystals was realized by using a SiO₂/SiO/SiO₂ layer structure with the embedded SiO layer having the thickness of the desired Si nanocrystals and using a high-temperature annealing for forming the silicon nanocrystals. Current–voltage, capacitance–voltage, and conductance–voltage characteristics were measured for a sample containing 4-nm-sized crystals. From the Fowler–Nordheim plot an effective barrier height of 1.6 eV is estimated for our silicon nanocrystals. Electron trapping, storing, and de-trapping in silicon nanocrystals were observed by capacitance–voltage and conductance–voltage measurements. The charge density was measured to be 1.6×10¹² /cm², which is nearly identical to the silicon-nanocrystal density measured approximately via a transmission electron microscopy image. Conductance measurements reveal a very low interface charge of our structure. PACS 72.80.Sk; 73.63.Bd; 73.40.Qv     

The formation of new adsorption centers on platinized SiO2 surfaces

Kinetic and spectral characteristics of luminescence and excitation of luminescence of magnesium phthalocyanine (MgPc) molecules adsorbed on silicon dioxide (SiO₂) are studied. They are found to be affected by finely divided platinum (Pt) present at the surface and hydration. The deposition of a Pt catalyst on SiO₂ leads to the formation of new centers. Adsorption of MgPc molecules at these centers increases the lifetime of excited states of the former. Luminescence of charge transfer complexes and the protonized form of phthalocyanine is detected at the platinized surface of silicon dioxide.     

Influence of the thickness of the tunnel layer on the charging characteristics of Si nanocrystals embedded in an ultra-thin SiO2 layer

In this paper, we have studied the effect of the thickness of the initial SiO₂ layer (5–7 nm) on the charge and discharge properties of a 2D array of Si nanoparticles embedded in these SiO₂ layers fabricated by ultra-low-energy ion implantation (ULE-II) and annealing. The structural characteristics of these nanocrystal-based memories (position of the nanocrystals with respect to the electrodes, size and surface density of the particles in the plane) were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy filtered TEM (EF-TEM). Electrical characterizations were performed at room temperature using a nano-MOS capacitor to be able to address only a few nanoparticles (nps). EFTEM gives the measurements of oxide thickness, injection, control and nps distances, size and density. I–V and I–t measurements exhibit current peaks and random telegraph signal fluctuations that can be interpreted as due to quantized charging of the nps and to some electrostatic interactions between the trapped charges and the tunnelling current. We have shown that these characteristics strongly vary with the initial oxide thickness, exhibiting several charging/discharging events for the 7-nm-thick layer while charging events prevail in the case of 5-nm-thick layer. These results indicate that the probability of discharging phenomena is reduced when the tunnel layer thickness decreases.     

Investigation of nanoparticulate silicon as printed layers using scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The presence of native oxide on the surface of silicon nanoparticles is known to inhibit charge transport on the surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies reveal that the particles in the printed silicon network have a wide range of sizes and shapes. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the particle surfaces have mainly the (111)‐ and (100)‐oriented planes which stabilizes against further oxidation of the particles. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements at the O 1s‐edge have been utilized to study the oxidation and local atomic structure of printed layers of silicon nanoparticles which were milled for different times. XANES results reveal the presence of the +4 (SiO₂) oxidation state which tends towards the +2 (SiO) state for higher milling times. Si 2p XPS results indicate that the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles in the printed layers are only partially oxidized and that all three sub‐oxide, +1 (Si₂O), +2 (SiO) and +3 (Si₂O₃), states are present. The analysis of the change in the sub‐oxide peaks of the silicon nanoparticles shows the dominance of the +4 state only for lower milling times.     

N掺杂SiO2纳米薄膜的制备及其磁性

利用射频磁控反应溅射技术,制备了氮掺杂的SiO₂纳米薄膜.发现N掺杂SiO₂体系纳米薄膜具有铁磁性.较小的氮化硅颗粒均匀分布在氧化硅基质中有利于磁有序的形成.基底温度为400℃时,样品薄膜具有最大的饱和磁化强度和矫顽力,分别为35 emu/cm³和75 Oe.薄膜的磁性可能产生于氮化硅和氧化硅的界面.理论计算表明,N掺杂SiO₂体系具有净自旋.同时,由氮化硅和氧化硅界面之间的电荷转移导致的轨道磁矩也会对样品的磁性有贡献 关键词： 2薄膜')" href="#">N掺杂SiO₂薄膜 射频磁控反应溅射 界面磁性 基底温度     

Hole trapping on the twofold-coordinated silicon atom in SiO2

The ability of a neutral diamagnetic twofold-coordinated silicon atom with two paired electrons (=Si: silylene center) in SiO₂ to capture charge carriers is investigated by the ab initio density-functional method. It is found that this defect is a hole trap in SiO₂. Hole trapping brings about the formation of paramagnetic twofold-coordinated silicon atoms with an unpaired electron =Si·. According to this prediction, the silylene center and the silicon-silicon bond can be responsible for the accumulation of the positive charge in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures under ionizing radiation.