Synthesis of Si nanoparticles with narrow size distribution by pulsed laser ablation

We synthesized Si nanoparticles by pulsed nanosecond-laser ablation. We applied a positive voltage bias during laser irradiation and effectively reduced size distribution. Scanning electron micrographs of samples showed the nanoparticles to be highly non-agglomerated. Si nanoparticles have the average diameter of 4–5 nm, the geometrical standard deviation of 1.35, and the density of 1.6 × 10¹²/cm². A MOS device showed excellent charge trap behavior with a flat-band voltage shift over 7 V, which can be applied for memory device applications.