Title :
Enhanced field emission from plasma-texturised Si-SiO2 interfaces
Author :
B¿¿hlmann, H.J. ; Olcer, M. ; Ilegems, M.
Author_Institution :
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Microelectronics Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
Abstract :
We describe a novel method to achieve enhanced electron injection into silicon dioxide by tunnel emission from texturised silicon surfaces. Field enhancement factors from ~4 to ~8 have been realised for 60 nm-thick oxides thermally grown on anisotropically plasma-etched Si surfaces. Implementation of these textured interface structures should allow significant improvements in the write/erase processes of EEPROM memory devices.
Keywords :
PROM; electron field emission; elemental semiconductors; integrated memory circuits; semiconductor-insulator boundaries; silicon; silicon compounds; sputter etching; tunnelling; EEPROM; Si-SiO2 interfaces; electron field emission enhancement; electron injection; memory devices; plasma-textured Si surface; reactive plasma etching; semiconductor storage; semiconductor-insulator boundaries; tunnel emission; write/erase processes;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el:19860148
