Charge transport along luminescent oxide layers containing Si and SiC nanoparticles

The electrical conductivity of silicon oxides containing silicon and silicon–carbon nanoparticles has been investigated. By use of sequential Si+ and C+ ion implantations in silicon oxide followed by an annealing at 1100 °C, luminescent Si nanocrystals and SiC nanoparticles were precipitated. The characterization of the electrical transport has been carried out on two kinds of structures, allowing parallel or perpendicular transport, with respect to the substrate. The first type of samples were elaborated by means of a focus-ion-beam technique: electrical contacts to embedded nanoparticles were made by milling two nanotrenches on the sample surface until reaching the buried layer, then filling them with tungsten. The distance between the electrodes is about 100 nm. The second type of samples correspond to 40 nm thick typical MOS capacitors.