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Hybrid systems based on silicon and silver nanocrystals (Si-NCs and Ag-NCs) are of considerable interest in photon conversion solar cells. Due to their plasmonic properties, Ag-NCs strongly increase the photoluminescence emission intensity of Si-NCs located in their vicinity, allowing, in principle, to solve the problem of their low emission yield. In this work, we have elaborated 2D networks of Ag-NCs and amorphous Si nanoparticles in a controlled way by using Ultra-Low-Energy Ion-Beam-Synthesis. In the proposed synthesis scheme, a 2D layer of Si-NCs is first obtained by implanting Si+ ions at ultra low energy (from 1 to 3 keV) in a SiO2 layer with subsequent high temperature thermal annealing. Then, Ag+ ions are implanted in the same matrix at energies between 3 and 10 keV and crystalline Ag-NCs are formed during the implantation step. Several configurations with either 2D arrays or a large band of Ag-NCs have been obtained following the Ag+ implantation energy. Enhancement of the PL emission from Si nanostructures, which is related to the presence of Ag-NCs, has been observed under specific arrangement of the two embedded subsystems. In this type of synthesis, a combination of physical phenomena including ion mixing, implantation damage, point defect, and thermal diffusion has been taken into account in order to explain and thus control the structural and the optical characteristics of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In silicon nanocrystal based metal-oxide-semiconductor memory structures, tuning of the electron tunneling distance between the Si substrate and Si nanocrystals located in the gate oxide is a crucial requirement for the pinpointing of optimal device architectures. In this work it is demonstrated that this tuning of the" injection distance" can be achieved by varying the Si+ ion energy or the oxide thickness during the fabrication of Si nanocrystals by ultralow-energy silicon implantation. Using an accurate cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) method, it is demonstrated that two-dimensional arrays of Si nanocrystals cannot be positioned closer than 5 nm to the channel by increasing the implantation energy. It is shown that injection distances down to much smaller values (2 nm) can be achieved only by decreasing the nominal thickness of the gate oxide. Depth profiles of excess silicon measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Si nanocrystal locations determined by XTEM are compared with Monte-Carlo simulations of the implanted Si profiles taking into account dynamic target changes due to ion implantation, ion erosion, and ion beam mixing. This combination of experimental and theoretical studies gives a safe explanation regarding the unique technological route of obtaining Si nanocrystals at distances smaller than 5 nm from the channel: the formation of nanocrystals requires that the interface mixing due to collisional damage does not overlap with the range profile to the extent that there is no more a local maximum of Si excess buried in the SiO 2 layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which described the use of a gold cluster compound as precursor for direct writing with a focused gallium ion beam. Methods; Results; Discussion.

Original substrates have been developed to offer a new approach to modulate and analyse simultaneously electro-optical and transport properties through an assembly of metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Using low energy ion implantation, silver NPs have been synthesized at the vicinity of the free surface of a SiO2 or SiNx matrix. Varying the parameters of the process allows us to modify the density of NPs and their distance to the surface. While Ag NPs surface fraction in SiO2 cannot exceed 20%, it reaches 30% in SiNx. In the latter case, NPs with mean diameter is about 2.1 nm have an interdistance compatible with tunnel effect. We then developed devices that electrically address the embedded assembly of NPs for I-V characterization. The transport measurements on these devices show that an exploitable conduction is possible within the Ag NPs assembly in SiNx. The Arrhenius-type temperature dependence model was successfully applied demonstrating that electron transport follows a simple thermally activated behaviour with the occurrence of a strongly localized regime. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) is a promising alternative to beam line implantation to produce a single layer of nanocrystals (NCs) in the gate insulator of metal-oxide semiconductor devices. We report herein the fabrication of two-dimensional Si-NCs arrays in thin SiO2 films using PIII and rapid thermal annealing. The effect of plasma and implantation conditions on the structural properties of the NC layers is examined by transmission electron microscopy. A fine tuning of the NCs characteristics is possible by optimizing the oxide thickness, implantation energy, and dose. Electrical characterization revealed that the PIII-produced-Si NC structures are appealing for nonvolatile memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended defects are often found after ion implantation and annealing of silicon and they are known to affect dopant diffusion. The article reviews the structure and energetics of the most often found extended defects and describes the mechanisms by which all these defects grow in size and transform during annealing. Defects grow by interchanging the Si atoms they are composed of and thus maintain large supersaturations of free Si interstitials in the region. A model has been developped to describe such an evolution in presence of a free surface. It is shown that after low energy implantation, the surface of the wafer may recombine large amounts of these free Si interstitials, driving defects into dissolution before transformation into more stable forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alternative method for the formation of the top oxide in oxide-nitride-oxide dielectric stacks is proposed. This method combines low-energy (1 keV) silicon ion implantation into a thin nitride-oxide stack and subsequent low-temperature wet oxidation (850 °C for 15 min). Transmission electron microscopy shows that for an implanted dose of 1.5×1016 Si cm-2, an 8-nm-thick silicon oxide layer develops on the surface of the nitride-oxide stack. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry reveals: (1) transformation of the implanted silicon nitride to an oxygen-rich-silicon nitride layer and (2) pilling up of nitrogen atoms at the bottom silicon/oxide-substrate interface. The resulting oxide-nitride-oxide stack exhibits strong charge storage effects and excellent charge retention properties leading to a 1.5 V, 10 yr extrapolated memory window at 125 °C. These results suggest that the proposed fabrication route may lead to gate dielectric stacks of substantial potential impact for mainstream nitride-based memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion implantation followed by high temperature annealing can be used to synthesize group IV semiconducting nanoparticles in SiO[sub 2]. The density and the size distribution of these nanocrystals obviously depend on the implantation and annealing conditions. While their size can be measured by "classical" transmission electron microscopy techniques, their density cannot because no diffraction occurs in the amorphous matrix. In this letter, we use electron energy loss spectroscopy to overcome this problem. We have measured the evolution of the size distribution, the density, and the atomic fraction occupied by the Ge precipitates during annealing. We show that the nanocrystals grow in size and reduce their density, while the overall number of atoms they contain remains constant. This observation proves that the nanoparticles undergo a conservative ripening during annealing. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton implantation and thermal annealing of silicon result in the formation of a specific type of extended defects involving hydrogen, named "platelets" or "cavities." These defects have been related to the exfoliation mechanism on which a newly developed process to transfer thin films of silicon onto various substrates is based. The density and the size of these platelets depend on the implantation and annealing conditions. In this letter, rigorous statistical methods based on transmission electron microscopy have been used to quantitatively study the thermal behavior of these defects. Upon annealing, it is shown that the cavities grow in size, reduce their density, while the overall volume they occupy remains constant. This phenomenon is due to a conservative ripening of the cavities. The transfer of hydrogen atoms from small to large cavities leads to a decrease of the elastic energy within the implanted layer while the strain locally increases around the projected range of the protons. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]