Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Si nanostructures are very promising candidates for optical and electrical applications. Charged nanocluster can be used for data storage [2]; their discrete energy levels can be used for logic operations; sponge nanostructures can be used as the ion conductor in fuel cells. The size-dependency of their energy levels makes them interesting for application in colour displays.
Among a lot of other methods to synthesize nanoclusters or sponges we present an approach which allows a selfalignment of nanostructures at an interface. The basic idea is to bring together Si, SiO2 and SiOx and anneal it to cause phase separation of SiOx. The interfaces between Si/SiOx and SiOx/SiO2 act as driving forces for the selfalignment of the separated Si and SiO2. To create SiOx we consider 2 processes: (i) Deposition of SiOx films by PVD or CVD and (ii) Ion beam Mixing of Si/SiO2 interfaces.
By PVD it’s possible to create arbitrary shapes of Si/SiO2/SiOx layerstacks. The subsequent annealing causes different effects at the interface. Mainly depending on the structure of the layerstack, but also on the annealing time, different reaction pathways can be observed. The system can end up with different numbers of cluster layers or sponge structures, aligned parallel to the interface. Here we show how and why it is possible to control the sizes, densities and distances of these structures.
The ion irradiation through a Si/SiO2 interface causes mixing of both phases and transforms the interface into SiOx.
This method is not that flexible as PVD, but it’s easier to be implemented into common industrial technologies, like the production of CMOS compatible devices. The reformation of the Si/SiO2 interface during heat treatment is again acting as a driving force for the self-alignment and forms a zone between the interface and the resulting nanostructures which is denuded of excess Si. In this case, sizes and density can be controlled by irradiation and annealing parameters.
Earlier studies [1] have proven the reliability of dot formations using ion beam mixing technologies for application as memories [2]. Here, we show simulation results for the formation of Si nanostructures at interfaces in layerstacks of Si, SiOx, SiO2 and basic principles of the driving forces for this kind of self-alignment. Computer simulations using the binary collision approximation (TRIDYN [3]) and the kinetic monte carlo method [4] are employed to subsequently describe the ion irradiation and annealing processes, respectively.
This part of the work is being funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No 688072 (Project IONS4SET).
[1] T. Müller et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 81 (2002) 3049; ibid. 85 (2004) 2373.
[2] K.H. Heinig et al., Appl. Phys. A77 (2003)17.
[3] W. Möller, W. Eckstein, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. B2 (1984) 814
[4] M. Strobel et al., Phys. Rev. B64 (2001)245422.