Experimental Evidence of a Charging Channel of CoSi2 Nanopaticles in Thin Oxide Barrier Structures

Abstract

We examined discrete charging properties Of CoSi2 nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in thin SiO2 tunneling and control oxide layers as a first step toward novel NP devices. CoSi2 NPs were prepared without a post-annealing process by exposure Of Co/Si/CoSi2 tunneling oxide/Si stacks to an external UV laser. The thicknesses of the Co and the Si layers were intentionally controlled to obtain ideal CoSi2 NPs. The measurements from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy clearly exhibited the formation of CoSi2. These CoSi2 NPs covered by metal oxide semiconductor devices revealed a charging or discharging window of 3.2 V under +9 V/-9 V in capacitance-voltage curves with good retention and endurance times. Therefore, it is found that silicide NPs could also play a decisive role in the development of new functional NP applications.