Crested Tunnel Barriers for Fast, Scalable, Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memories (Theme 3)

The main objective of this project was the experimental demonstration of the theoretically predicted enhanced quantum-mechanical tunneling through layered ("crested") barriers. If demonstrated in silicon-compatible materials with sufficient endurance under electric stress, this effect may enable high-density, high-speed nonvolatile memories that may potentially replace DRAM as the main random access memories of semiconductor electronics. With that objective, we have combined the expertise at Stony Brook University in crested barrier theory (Prof. Konstantin Likharev) and aluminum oxide layer growth (Prof. James Lukens, Dr. Vijay Patel) with that of Yale University (Prof. T.P. Ma, Dr. X. Wang) in jet vapor deposition of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide films, as well as in nonvolatile memory technology.
Prepared in cooperation with Yale University, New Haven, CT.