Localized charge injection in SiO{sub 2} films containing silicon nanocrystals

Journal Article · Mon Aug 06 04:00:00 EDT 2001 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1383574· OSTI ID:40230706

Boer, Elizabeth A; Brongersma, Mark L; Atwater, Harry A; Flagan, Richard C; Bell, L D

An atomic-force microscope (AFM) is used to locally inject, detect, and quantify the amount and location of charge in SiO{sub 2} films containing Si nanocrystals (size {approx}2--6 nm). By comparison with control samples, charge trapping is shown to be due to nanocrystals and not ion-implantation-induced defects in samples containing ion-beam-synthesized Si nanocrystals. Using an electrostatic model and AFM images of charge we have estimated the amount of charge injected in a typical experiment to be a few hundred electrons and the discharge rate to be {approx}35{+-}15 e/min. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.

• Sponsoring Organization: (US)
• OSTI ID: 40230706
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 79; ISSN 0003-6951
• Publisher: The American Physical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DEFECTS
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATICS
MICROSCOPES
PHYSICS
SILICON
TRAPPING