Electronic properties of functional nanocrystal layers for non-volatile memory applications

Abstract

A code has been developed for the simulation of the electronic properties of an array of semiconductor nanocrystals embedded in a thin dielectric layer. Such nanocrystal layers, stacked between the gate and the channel of a field effect transistor, can be effectively used as a storage medium for non-volatile memory applications, with perspectives of improved performance in terms of power consumption, ease of programming, and shorter write-erase times with respect to conventional non-volatile memories. Results are given from a detailed simulation based on the self-consistent solution of the Poisson-Schrödinger equation on a three-dimensional grid, focusing on the charging process and on the effect of charge stored in the nanocrystals at transistor threshold voltage.