Quantum dots for memory applications.

In this paper, we review the fabrication and the electrical characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices with semiconductor quantum dots (QD) embedded into the gate dielectric. Our results originate from experiments performed the last decade and cover Si QDs realized by low-energy ion-beam synthesis (IBS) as well as GaN QDs formed by molecular beam deposition (MBD). Besides the basic capacitance-to-voltage ( C- V) and current-to-voltage ( I- V) characterization, the memory properties of the fabricated MIS devices were investigated in terms of memory window under pulse operation and charge retention. The optimization of Si-QD memory cells is reviewed and a methodology for both the extraction of various device parameters and the identification of mechanisms governing the charge loss process are presented. GaN QDs, which exhibit negative conduction band-offset with respect to the Si conduction band, offer an interesting alternative to Si QDs as discussed herein based on our investigations of GaN-QD capacitors fabricated by a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]