Electrical Characterization of MOS Structures with Silicon Nanocrystals Suitable for X-Ray Detection

Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor structures with silicon nanocrystals in the oxide layer are prepared and characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy and electrical measurements. High temperature annealing of SiO1.15 films at 1000 °C for 30 or 60 min leads to formation of silicon nanocrystals with diameters of 2-3 or 4-6 nm. The processes used to obtain the multilayer gate dielectric and to grow nanocrystals do not deteriorate the properties of the cSi wafer/thermal SiO2 interface. For the interface defect density and the fixed oxide charge values 1010 cm-2 eV-1 and ~ 1010 cm-2 were obtained.