Fabrication of multiply-stacked structures of Si quantum-dots embedded in SiO/sub 2/ by combination of low-pressure CVD and remote plasma treatments

Silicon nanocrystals embedded in Si02 network have attracted a great deal of interest as quantum dots with discrete charged states and their application to the floating gate of MOS memories [l]. For the multivalued capability of the Si dots floating gate MOS devices, the growth control of Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) with an areal density as high as - 10l2 cmm2 on an ultrathin Si02 layer is a crucial factor. In our previous work, we demonstrated the self-assembling formation of Si-QDs on ultrathin SO2 layers by controlling the early stages of low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) using a SiH4 gas [2].