Novel Memory Devices Based on Silicon Nanocrystal Pyramid-Dot Complexes

我们与摩托罗拉和飞思卡尔半导体公司合作，提出了基于高度组织的、尺寸和形状可控的硅纳米晶体(NCS)三维阵列的新型纳米结构的制备和研究。这些三维纳米结构将以金字塔-点复合体的形式制备，其中近球形的硅纳米管(即量子点)将直接放置在横向有序的硅金字塔的顶部。利用这项技术，我们打算在新的存储设备中开发这些新的结构。这些器件利用纳米级硅金字塔的共振载流子注入，通过纳米直径的硅量子点的离散能级。该项目令人兴奋但具有挑战性的目标是：(I)开发一种专注于高度有序的三维网络的硅纳米金字塔-点复合体的纳米制造技术。(Ii)耦合金字塔-点硅纳米复合体系统中共振载流子注入的实验研究和理论建模。(Iii)基于硅纳米金字塔/点复合体的超高速、非易失性存储器件原型的制造和测试。通过实现这些目标，我们将在更快的基于硅NC的非易失性存储器和新的电路功能方面取得根本性进展。更广泛的影响本提案中的研究和教育的整合将(I)通过将拟议的研究进展整合到本科生和研究生的NJIT课程中，以及(Ii)通过向我们当地的大学预科学生和学校教师提供外展计划来实现。对于最年轻的学生，我们在NJIT的新项目将通过最先进的实验室之旅和指导高中教师暑期课程来接触当地的K-12社区，重点是现代电子设备和电路。由于其学生群体的种族多样性和城市位置，NJIT有一个独特的机会来追寻在科学和工程领域历史上代表性不足的群体。

In collaboration with Motorola and Freescale Semiconductor, we propose the fabrication and study of novel nanostructures based on highly organized, three-dimensional arrays of size and shape controlled silicon nanocrystals (NCs). These three-dimensional nanostructures will be prepared in the form of pyramid-dot complexes where nearly spherical Si NCs (i.e., quantum dots) will be placed directly on top of laterally ordered Si pyramids. Using this technique, we intend to exploit these novel structures in new memory devices. These devices utilize resonant carrier injection from nanoscale Si pyramids via discrete energy levels of nanometer diameter Si quantum dots. The exciting but challenging goals of this project are:(i) Development of a nanofabrication technique focused on highly ordered three- dimensional network of Si NC pyramid-dot complexes.(ii) Experimental studies and theoretical modeling of resonant carrier injection in a system of coupled pyramid-dot Si NCs.(iii) Fabrication and testing of ultra-fast, non-volatile memory device prototypes based on Si NC pyramid/dot complexes. By achieving these goals, we will constitute fundamental advances in faster Si NC-based non-volatile memories and novel circuit functionalities.Broader Impact The integration of research and education in this proposal will be done (i) via integrating the proposed research advances into the undergraduate and graduate NJIT curriculum, and (ii) by offering outreach programs to pre-college students and school teachers in our local area. For the youngest students, our new project at NJIT will reach out to the local K-12 community with state-of-the art laboratory tours and mentoring high school teacher summer classes with focus on modern electronic devices and circuits. With its ethnically diverse student body and urban location, NJIT has a unique opportunity to pursue groups historically under-represented in science and engineering.