Growth of gold nanoparticles using aluminum template via low-temperature hydrothermal method for memory applications

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were grown on a Si(100) substrate using a sacrificial hydrothermal method on Al template prepared by direct current (DC) sputtering, followed by thermal annealing. The effect of annealing temperature on the Al template was investigated. The morphology and phases of the grown AuNPs were observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. FESEM and XRD results revealed the uniform face-centered cubic structure of AuNPs with isolated 83 nm particle size and 1.48 × 1013 m−2 area density; these properties were considered optimum for AuNPs formed on the non-annealed sputtered Al template. The electrical properties of AuNPs embedded in polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) as an organic dielectric layer were studied using a semiconductor characterization system. A metal–insulator-semiconductor device with embedded AuNPs was proven to exhibit memory effects. Optimum memory properties of AuNPs embedded in PMSSQ were obtained for AuNPs grown on the non-annealed sputtered Al template with the lowest threshold voltage of 2.4 V in I–V characteristics and 34 electrons stored per AuNP in C–V measurement.