Method for non-damaging charge injection and a system thereof

• US 7,217,582 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Potter, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulpuri; Savitri
• Application Number:
  US10/924,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20050079640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 438/19, 438 48- 53, 438/778, 438/795, 438/E21.192, 427/255.37
• US Class Current: 438/19
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/316 Changing physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28176 with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the definitive gate conductor

Abstract

A method and system for injecting charge includes providing a first material on a second material and injecting charge into the first material to trap charge at an interface between the first and second materials. The thickness of the first material is greater than a penetration depth of the injected charge in the first material.

Claims

1. A method for injecting charge, the method comprising:

providing a first material on a second material; and

injecting charge into the first material to trap charge at an interface between the first and second materials, wherein a thickness of the first material is greater than a penetration depth of the injected charge in the first material, wherein the first and the second materials are dissimilar insulators.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

providing a conductor on the second material;

providing a source for the injected charge which is positioned to direct the injected charge towards at least a portion of the first material; and

applying an accelerating potential across the conductor and the source for the injected charge.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the applied accelerating potential is at a value where secondary electron yield is less than unity.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the applied accelerating potential is above 3800 eV.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising determining the penetration depth of injected charge in the first material, wherein the providing further comprises depositing the first material on the second material to the thickness which is greater than the determined penetration depth.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising removing a portion of the first material where the injected charge has penetrated.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising coating at least a portion of the second material with a protective layer during the removal of the portion of the first material.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first material comprises SiO₂ and the second material comprises Si₃N₄.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the charge trapped at the interface is monopole charge.