Concentration of electric field near Si dot/thermally-grown SiO2 interface

The dot-induced concentration of electric field was studied by current-volt age (I-V) measurements of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) diodes containing a high density of Si dots embedded in the gate SiO2. Using a nanometer-sca le local oxidation process developed by the authors. single-crystalline Si dots covered with a thermally grown SiO2 were formed on a tunnel SiO2/n(+)- Si substrate. I-V measurements through the gate SiO2 (similar to 20nm thick ) showed enhancement of the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling current in compa rison with the conventional MOS diode. This phenomenon was ascribed to a st rong electric field generated locally near the gate SiO2/Si dot interface, which reflects the ultrasmall curvature of the Si dot. In fact, simulation of the potential distribution provided evidence of the concentration of the electric field.