Project Information per year:
2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 -2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004

PROJECT II.1
NANOSTRUCTURES FOR NANOELECTRONICS AND PHOTONICS

Project leader: A. G. Nassiopoulou
Key researchers: A. G. Nassiopoulou, E. Tsoi, S. Gardelis and N. Papanikolaou
Phd students: M. Kokonou, A. Olziersky, A. Salonidou, A. Zoy, V. Gianneta

Funding

- EU IST NoE SINANO, 1/1/2004-31/12/2006, Contract No: 506844
- EU IST NoE MINA-EAST, 1/5/2004-30/4/2006, Contract No: 510470
- EU IST I3 ANNA, 1/12/2006 – 1/12/2010, Contract No:026134

Research orientation

- Semiconductor (Si, Ge) nanostructures: Growth by LPCVD and sputtering, characterization: electrical, optical, structural
- Si/Ge nanocrystal non-volatile memories
- Ultra-thin porous alumina template technology on silicon. Application in through-pore silicon nanostructuring
- Self-assembly of quantum dots on nanostructured surfaces
- Theory (Ballistic transport in nanostructures, Surface plasmons in thin metallic films, classical molecular dynamics and nanoscale heat transport)

The activity on semiconductor nanostructures started at IMEL at the early nineties and it was conducted within different EU projects, in collaboration with other European groups (Esprit-EOLIS, IST FET SMILE No 28741, IST FORUM FIB No 29573, IST NoE SINANO etc). Worldwide original results were produced, including fabrication of light emitting silicon nanopillars by lithography and anisotropic etching and investigation of their properties, growth of Si nanocrystal superlattices by LPCVD and high temperature oxidation/annealing with interesting optical properties, fabrication and characterization of LEDs based on Si nanopillars, nanodots and others.
The present focus of research is on self-assembly and ordering of Si and Ge quantum dots on nanostructured silicon surfaces and their application in nanocrystal memories and photonics. For Si nanostructuring, a non-lithographic process using porous alumina template technology has been developed. Porous alumina ultra-thin films are grown on silicon by electrochemistry. By appropriately choosing the electrochemical conditions used, pore size and density are monitored. Through-pore silicon nanostucturing follows the pore size and density. Arrays of SiO2 nanodots on Si were fabricated and characterized. Dot size varies from few nm up to few hundreds of nm.
Another technology under development is the growth of ultra thin porous silicon films by electrochemical dissolution of silicon in the transition regime between porosification and electropolishing. Under appropriate conditions, the obtained films are amorphous with embedded Si nanocrystals of various sizes. Under other conditions, the films are nanocrystalline.
Characterization of nanostructures includes investigation of their optical, electrical and structural properties.
The theoretical group focuses on the investigation of ballistic transport in nanostructures, surface plasmons in thin metallic films, classical molecular dynamics and nanoscale heat transport.