Method for non-damaging charge injection and system thereof

• US 7,408,236 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nth Tech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nth Tech Corporation
• Inventors: Potter, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulpuri; Savitri
• Application Number:
  US11/712,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 427/446, 257/324.414, 257/414, 257/214, 257/528, 257/532, 438/287, 428/446, 250/492.3, 369/126, 365/146, 310/109, 333/186
• US Class Current: 257/414
• 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 system for injecting charge, the system comprising:

a first material on a second material with an interface between the first and second materials, wherein the first and second materials are dissimilar insulators;

a charge source positioned to inject 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;

a conductor on the second material; and

a power source that applies an accelerating potential above 3800 eV across the conductor and the charge source for the injected charge, wherein the charge source is an electron gun.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the applied accelerating potential is at a value where secondary electron yield is less than unity.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of the first material where the injected charge has penetrated is removed.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a protective layer on at least a portion of the second material when the portion of the first material is removed.

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

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