Electronic device and method for fabricating an electronic device

• US 6,707,098 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schloesser, Till, Kreupl, Franz, Luyken, Richard Johannes, Hofmann, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUMEISTER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US09/882,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 257/9, 257/12, 257/27, 257/30, 257/314, 257/315, 257/324, 257/321, 438/962
• US Class Current: 257/324
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5671 using charge trapping in an insulator
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/77 Array wherein the memory element being directly connected to the bit lines and word lines without any access device being used
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/81 Array wherein the array conductors, e.g. word lines, bit lines, are made of nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2216/08 Nonvolatile memory wherein data storage is accomplished by storing relatively few electrons in the storage layer, i.e. single electron memory
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/962 Quantum dots and lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/943 Information storage or retrieval using nanostructure

Abstract

An electronic device has a plurality of electrically conductive first nanowires, a layer system applied on the first nanowires, and also second nanowires applied on the layer system. The first and second nanowires are arranged skew with respect to one another. The layer system is set up in such a way that charge carriers generated by the nanowires can be stored in the layer system.

Claims

1. Electronic Device having at least one electrically conductive first nanowire;

at least one layer system applied on the first nanowire;

at least one second nanowire applied on the layer system;

the first nanowire and the second nanowire being arranged skew with respect to one another; and

the layer system being configured in such a way that charge carriers generated by the first nanowire and/or the second nanowire can be stored in the layer system.

2. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the second nanowire is configured such that it is electrically semiconducting.

3. Electronic device according to claim 1, having a plurality of electrically conductive first nanowires;

and having a plurality of second nanowires;

the first nanowires and the second nanowires in each case being arranged skew with respect to one another.

4. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the second nanowire is a silicon nanowire or a boron nitride nanowire.

5. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first nanowire and/or the second nanowire are/is one or a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

6. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first nanowire and the second nanowire contain material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, tungsten, copper, tantalum, and titanium.

7. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the layer system has a first silicon dioxide layer;

a silicon nitride layer applied thereon; and

a second silicon dioxide layer.

8. Electronic device according to claim 7, in which a further silicon nitride layer is provided between the first nanowire and the first silicon dioxide layer.

9. Electronic device according to claim 7, in which the first nanowires and the second nanowires are in each case arranged in such a way with respect to one another that the distance between two first nanowires or between two second nanowires is in each case at least twice as large as the distance between the first nanowires and the silicon nitride layer.

10. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the layer system has quantum dots as imperfections for storing electrical charge carriers.

11. Electronic device according to claim 10, in which the quantum dots contain polysilicon.

12. Electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first nanowires and/or the second nanowires have a plurality of cylindrical walls.

13. Electronic device according to claim 1, having a plurality of layer systems arranged one above the other, a first nanowire and a second nanowire being arranged alternately in each case between two layer systems.

14. Method for fabricating an electronic device, comprising:

arranging a plurality of electrically conductive first nanowires next to one another;

applying at least one layer system on the first nanowires; and

arranging, on the layer system, a plurality of second nanowires next to one another and skew with respect to the first nanowires.

15. Method according to claim 14, in which the step of applying the layer system has the following steps:

Applying a first silicon oxide layer;

applying a silicon nitride layer on the first silicon oxide layer;

applying a silicon oxide layer on the silicon nitride layer.

16. Method according to claim 15, in which, at the beginning of the application of the layer system, a further silicon nitride layer is applied.

17. Method according to claim 14, in which the first nanowires and/or the second nanowires are deposited from the vapour phase.

18. Method according to claim 14, in which an electric field is used to arrange the first nanowires and/or the second nanowires.