Influence of Si-nanocrytal distribution in the oxide on the charging behaviour of MOS structures

The electrical characteristics of MOS structures with specially designed distributions of Si nanocrystals (nc-Si) embedded in the oxides are investigated, and very different behaviours in the electrical characteristics are observed as a result of the nc-Si distribution. The charge trapping/detrapping in the nc-Si confined in the gate oxide leads to flat-band-voltage shifts, while charge trapping/detrapping in the nc-Si distributed throughout the gate oxide causes a modulation in the capacitance magnitude.