Pd Nanocrystals-Embedded TiO₂ Film Sandwiched Between Al₂O₃ Layers for Nonvolatile Memory Applications

Abstract:

Pd nanocrystals embedded in TiO₂ film are formed in a self-assembly manner by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of reactively co-sputtered TiPdO films. The cross-section transmission-electron microscopy (TEM) image and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) reveal that the RTA at 800°C for 15 s results in the formation of Pd nanocrystals with an average size of around 10 nm. Further, the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor with Pd-nanocrystals-embedded TiO₂ film sandwiched between Al₂O₃ layers has been fabricated and characterized electrically in comparison with the counterpart without Pd nanocrystals, indicating that the formed Pd nanocrystals are dominant charge storage nodes. The fabricated MOS capacitor with Pd nanocrystals exhibits obvious memory characteristics, demonstrating a C-V hysteresis window of about 8.2 V at the sweeping voltage rang of +/-9 V, a flatband voltage shift of ~2V under a constant voltage stress of +9V for 10ns corresponding to a charge injection speed of 6×10¹² cm^-2μs^-1. The underlying mechanisms of the memory characteristics under different C-V sweeps have also been discussed.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 422)
• Pages: 139-145
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.422.139
• Online since: December 2011
• Authors: Wan Yi Huang, Hong Bing Chen, Sun Chen, Shi Jin Ding, David Wei Zhang
• Keywords: Al₂O₃, Memory Effects, Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) Capacitor, Pd Nanocrystals, TiO₂

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