Electrical conduction of silicon oxide containing silicon quantum dots

Current–voltage measurements have been made at room temperature on a Si-rich silicon oxide film deposited via electron-cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) and annealed at 750–1000 °C. The thickness of the oxide between Si quantum dots embedded in the film increases with increasing annealing temperature. This leads to a decreasing current density as the annealing temperature is increased. Assuming the …