Fabrication and evaluation of floating gate memories with surface-nitrided Si nanocrystals

A floating dot memory is expected as a promising candidate for future nonvolatile memory devices [1]. In order to fabricate the floating dot memory device with sufficient threshold-voltage-shift and retention time, it is essential to form nanometer-sized Si nanocrystals with a number density higher than 1X10^12 cm-2 buried in a SiO2 matrix.