The formation of Ge nanocrystals in a metal–insulator–semiconductor structure and its memory effect

Formation and characterization of varied size germanium nanocrystals by electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence

“…Zero-dimensional germanium (Ge) nanocrystals (ncs), also called nanoclusters or quantum dots, have undergone intensive theoretical and experimental research due to their potential applications as light emitters [1][2][3][4][5][6], non-volatile optical memories [7,8] and their enhanced third-order optical nonlinear effects [9][10][11][12], etc.…”

Crystallization of Amorphous Si0.6Ge0.4 Nanoparticles Embedded in SiO2: Crystallinity Versus Compositional Stability

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The formation of nanocrystals has been reported using various approaches, e.g., ion implantation of Si or Ge in SiO 2 , [8][9][10][11] e-beam evaporation, 12 co-sputtering deposition of Si and/or Ge and SiO 2 , [13][14][15][16] and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. 17 These procedures usually end with an annealing step, necessary to form the nanocrystals, carried out at temperatures of 1000°C or higher and for times of around 1 h, conditions which often represent a high thermal budget.…”

Two-dimensional arrays of ordered, highly dense and ultra-small Ge nanocrystals on thin SiO2layers

“…The formation of regular 2D Ge dots arrays was obtained following two flow charts schematically described in Figure 1. Torr during deposition using as source gas He-diluted GeH 4 and Si 2 H 6 and H 2 as carrier-gas. The typical growth temperature was 700°C.…”

“…This produces two phenomena: a faster charging process in Ge islands and a larger potential barrier for carrier leakage to the substrate, resulting in a larger retention time [3][4][5][6][7]. Recent theoretical studies have demonstrated the better retention properties of Ge NC memories, compared with those based on Si NCs and an ideal size for Ge islands of ~15 nm [8].…”