INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
APPLICATION FORM
Name, address and telephone number of the person responsible for this proposal
Professor Gadi Eisenstein
Electrical Engineering Dept. Technion, Haifa 32000 ISRAEL
Tel +97248294694 +972523220176 gad@ee.technion.ac.il
Name of the laboratory and host institution
Nano Electronics Center – Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa israel
Title of the research project in which the volunteer would be involved
Optically triggered nonvolatile memories based on metal nano particles and high-k dielectrics
Have you already identified a candidate?
Name and email address of the candidate:
NO
Background, knowledge and level required from the applicant volunteer (including languages)
Basic knowledge of semiconductor physics and devices in particular basic Si based diodes
Some knowledge and experience of optical characterization
Suitable date for
receiving the volunteer
Mid 2012
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Duration of the stay
Participation in the
monthly allowance
24 months
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org
750 euros
Description of the specific research work, which would be carried out
(Please enclose a two pages description of the project – Arial 10, Line spacing 1.5 point)
The group which the candidate will join has done pioneering research in special high-k dielectrics for
advanced microelectronics devices. In the last several years, the group has developed techniques to fabricate
metal nano particles which when combined with the high-k dielectrics form extremely efficient nonvolatile
memory cells. Both capacitors and transistors have been demonstrated. Both have been found to be optically
sensitive namely, the memory can be written optically and read electronically.
An example of a very successful device already developed is shown schematically in the figure below
together with an SEM picture of the metal nano particles.
Gate electrode
ALD HfO2
Thermal SiO2
Pt NCs
p-Si
Back electrode
These devices have extremely large memory capabilities as seen in the hysteresis curves of the C-V
characteristics shown on the left below.
These memories operate at low voltages and exhibit large memory windows so they address the low energy
needs of modern electronic circuits and offer multi level memory capabilities within the large memory window.
The memories are optically sensitive, the C-V characteristics are modified when they are illuminated, the
hysteresis loop widens and can be controlled by the intensity and wavelength of the illumination.
The research to be performed by the candidate will address devices made on a SOI substrate and
concentrate on the optical properties, in particular the response to UV light.
A schematic description of a memory capacitor on SOI is shown in the figure below. Such device was already
processed and tested but still has to be optimized. In particular, the configuration of electrical contacts to the
SOI structure is insufficient in the first devices and the characterization both electrical and optical are only in
their infancy.
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org
The research project proposed for the volunteer involves development of memory devices on SOI substrates
which will have tremendous advantages due to control over the absorption properties and potentially higher
speed. Specifically, the research project will involve:
1) Fabrication of the memory cells on SOI
2) Electrical characterization C-V and I-V together with advanced analysis of the measurement results.
The candidate will be trained at Technion in these measurement procedures and the unique analysis
techniques.
3) Optical characterization of the memory cells including spectral measurements, dynamic
measurements and volatility properties.
Special emphasis will be made on UV illumination of the SOI devices. Once successful on a single device
level, we will develop arrays of such SOI devices aiming at recording simple images, in particular UV images
which have importance in both sensing (for poison gases) and in biology.
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org
Description of the specific research work, which would be carried out
(Please enclose a two pages description of the project – Arial 10, Line spacing 1.5 point)
The candidate will work in collaboration with a senior expert researcher in the field and with other graduate
students. The host professor (Eisenstein) will supervise closely the research. The group has many years of
successful experience hosting French volunteers and has a good hosting culture in place.
The fabrication activities will be performed in the nano electronics center, the volunteer will learn to deposit
dielectric, to form metal nano particles by metal deposition and special rapid thermal annealing and process
the devices with help of the engineers and technicians working in the center. The work will emphasize
memory devices on SOI substrates.
The candidate will be trained in electrical characterizations and the analysis of the results by an expert in the
field and will then characterize the devices.
The candidate will be trained in optical characterization of the devices. These measurements will be
performed in laboratories of the optoelectronics laboratories. Spectral response measurements and dynamic
measurements using pulsed lasers will be employed to test the speed of the optically triggered memory
devices.
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org
French Embassy in Israel
Office for Science & Technology
Rothschild Boulevard 7
Tel Aviv, 66881 Israel
Tel: +972 (0)3 796 80 42
Fax: +972 (0)3 796 80 45
Web : http://www.fitscience.wordpress.com
Email : science@ambfr-il.org