Write, erase and storage times in nanocrystal memories and the role of interface states

In theory, the write, erase, and storage times of nanocrystal memories are intimately related to the coupling between the three-dimensionally confined states of the nanocrystals and the inversion/depletion layer, with the magnitude of coupling strongly dependent on the capture cross-section of the nanocrystal and the parameters of the SiO/sub 2/ tunneling barrier layer. In practice, the extremely strong asymmetry in time-constants suggests additional physical processes in fabricated structures. In this extended abstract, we use frequency-, time- and bias-dependent measurement of charge and channel current to determine the bias-dependent coupling between the nanocrystals and the underlying channel and deconvolute the effects arising from interface states on nanocrystals and percolation transport in the channel.