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Abstract: In this work we investigate the dielectric properties of hafnium oxide deposited by RF magnetron sputtering with the purpose to implement it as control oxide for non-volatile memories based on metallic nanoparticles as charge storage centers. The influence of deposition temperature, ambient and post-deposition annealing onto the trapping properties of hafnium oxide, deposited over a tunneling silicon oxide layer, will be discussed and optimized conditions under which no charge trapping is observed into the dielectric stack will be presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel nanoparticle self-assembly process is demonstrated. Nanoparticles were fabricated by a DC magnetron sputtering process. A silicon substrate was initially patterned with arrays of peak and valley photoresist structures using inexpensive patterning techniques. When the nanoparticles were deposited onto the prepatterned substrate, due to surface topography induced local increase in the electric field created by the charges on the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles were self-assembled onto the peaks of the structures and formed long nanowire arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A process for the selective deposition of nanoparticles by a self-electric focusing effect is discussed. The negatively charged Nickel nanoparticles were fabricated by a DC magnetron sputtering system, and were deposited on a photoresist-patterned silicon substrate. Because of the different conductance between silicon and photoresist, the charges were accumulated on the photoresist as the nanoparticles were deposited, which caused a focusing electric field to drive the nanoparticles towards the silicon substrate. We have demonstrated that the self-focusing effect of the charged nanoparticles is responsible for increasing the density of nanoparticles in the lines patterned on silicon substrate by two orders of magnitude with respect to that on photoresist. The width of the silicon line and the width ratio between photoresist line and silicon line are the two most important parameters that will affect the self-focusing effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]