Nonvolatile memory with switching interfacial polar structures of nano Si-in-mesoporous silica

Abstract

We show an artificially engineered electret with Si nanocrystals embedded in mesoporous silica for nonvolatile memory. We attribute the polarization to from polar layers lying at the interfaces between one-side bonded Si nanocrystals and mesoporous silica matrix. Under external field, the Si nanocrystals could be displaced in the porechannels causing displaced charge distributions and therefore a field-controllable electric polarization. Nonvolatile memory is demonstrated with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3240888]