Site-controlled Si Nanodot Formation for a RT-SET via Ion Beam Mixing and Phase Separation

CMOS-compatible formation of Si nanodots (NDs) as Coulomb islands is a prerequisite for an RT Single Electron Transistor operation. In this work, Si NDs are formed via ion beam mixing and thermally stimulated phase separation. Broad-beam Si+ and Ne+ beams followed by a rapid thermal annealing treatment were utilized to create a layer of NDs and visualized by Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy (EFTEM). The conditions for ND formation are optimized based on an extensive survey of the parameter space. The work is guided by TRIDYN simulations during the ion beam mixing and 3D Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation for the phase separation during the thermal treatment. To tailor towards a single Si ND, the focused Ne+ beam from the Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) is utilized to create patterns of NDs in planar layer stacks. The formation of site-controlled single NDs with a diameter of 2.2 nm is confirmed by comparing the EFTEM Si plasmon-loss intensity with simulated intensity.