e-Information on wires- A First Step towards 2-Terminal Silicon Nanowires for Electronic Memory Devices

Presently, there is a rapid growth of interest in the area of flexible electronics. Benefits such as light weight, durability and low-cost are among the most appealing aspects. However, the high temperatures throughout the fabrication processes are still the main hurdle. In this study, the deposition of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) at low temperature (300˚C) using Tin (Sn) catalyst is studied. Silicon nanostructures have been the centre of research for many years for a number of applications in different areas. Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and other industrial deposition techniques, for the growth of crystalline silicon micro- and nano structures use high temperatures and therefore are not compatible with temperature sensitive substrates. This work utilises a low temperature deposition method for the growth of SiNWs and creates a leeway to use flexible plastic sheets as substrates. The silicon nanowires were deposited by exploiting the Vapour-Liquid-Solid (VLS) material growth mechanism using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) technique. The suitability of these structures, as an information storage material, for future flash and two terminals non-volatile memory devices are investigated. Strong charge storage behaviour with a retention time up to 5 hours was observed showing great potential for the future memory candidate.