INSULATOR PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING : ELECTRICALLY-ALTERABLE READ-ONLY-MEMORY APPLICATIONS

Abstract
Current advances in the study of insulating materials, in particular SiO₂ and Si-rich SiO₂, have led to new types of electronic devices. Si-rich SiO₂, if placed between a contacting electrode and SiO₂, has been demonstrated to give enhanced electron injection into the SiO₂ layer at moderate average electric fields. This phenomenon is believed to be due to localized electric field distortion at the Si-rich SiO₂-SiO₂ interface caused by the two phase nature (Si and SiO₂) of the Si-rich SiO₂ film. Chemically-vapor-deposited layers of Si-rich SiO₂, SiO₂, and Si-rich SiO₂ have been used to charge and discharge floating poly-crystalline Si storage layers in a new type of non-volatile electrically-alterable memory.