Silicon nanoparticle field effect transistor and transistor memory device

• US 6,984,842 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Nayfeh, Munir H., Therrien, Joel, Belmoin, Gennadiy
• Primary Examiner(s): CRANE, SARA W
• Application Number:
  US09/496,506
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 257/14, 257/27
• US Class Current: 257/14
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/40114 the electrodes comprising a conductor-insulator-conductor-insulator-semiconductor structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42332 with the floating gate formed by two or more non connected parts, e.g. multi-particles flating gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7883 charging by tunnelling of carriers, e.g. Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7888 Transistors programmable by two single electrons

Abstract

A silicon nanoparticle transistor and transistor memory device. The transistor of the invention has silicon nanoparticles, dimensioned on the order of 1 nm, in a gate area of a field effect transistor. The resulting transistor is a transistor in which single electron flow controls operation of the transistor. Room temperature operation is possible with the novel transistor structure by radiation assistance, with radiation being directed toward the silicon nanoparticles to create necessary holes in the quantum structure for the flow of an electron. The transistor of the invention also forms the basis for a memory device. The device is a flash memory device which will store electrical charge instead of magnetic effects.

Claims

1. A single electron transistor device comprising:

a source;

a drain;

a gate;

a buried gate layer of silicon nanoparticles; and

wherein said silicon nanoparticles have a diameter of approximately 1 nm.

2. The single electron device according to claim 1, further comprising a buried gate contact to electrically stimulate said silicon nanoparticles separately from a contact to said gate.

3. The single electron device according to claim 1, wherein said silicon nanoparticles exhibit an energy spacing of approximately 1 eV.

4. A method for operating a single electron device, which has a source, a drain, a gate, and 1 nm diameter silicon nanoparticles implanted as a buried gate layer, comprising the steps of:

creating at least one hole in the silicon nanoparticles to enable the silicon nanoparticles to conduct a single electron at room temperature across the source and the drain; and

applying a voltage across the drain and the source.

5. The method of operating the single electron device according to claim 4, wherein said step of creating a hole in said silicon nanoparticles is accomplished by irradiating said silicon nanoparticles.

6. The method of operating the single electron device according to claim 4, wherein said step of creating a hole uses light having a spectral width between 300 nm and 600 nm.

7. A transistor memory device comprising:

a source;

a drain; and

a gate, with 1 nm diameter silicon nanoparticles contained in a control oxide and separate from a tunnel oxide disposed between said source and drain.

8. A single electron device comprising:

a source;

a drain;

a gate;

a buried gate layer of silicon nanoparticles; and

a buried gate contact to electrically stimulate said silicon nanoparticles separately from a contact to said gate;

wherein said silicon nanoparticles have a diameter of approximately 1 nm.

9. A single electron device comprising:

a source;

a drain;

a layer of silicon nanoparticles having a diameter of approximately 1 nm for conducting a single electron at room temperature across the source and the drain;

a stimulating device to create vacancies in said layer of the silicon nanoparticles for single electron operation.

10. The single electron device of claim 9 wherein said stimulating device comprises a light irradiator for irradiating the silicon nanoparticles in said layer of silicon nanoparticles.

11. The single electron device of claim 10 wherein the light irradiator radiates light having a spectral width between 300 nm and 600 nm.