Transparent Nano-floating Gate Memory Using Self-Assembled Bismuth Nanocrystals in $Bi_2Mg_{2/3}Nb_{4/3}O_7$ (BMN) Pyrochlore Thin Films

The nano-sized quantum structure has been an attractive candidate for investigations of the fundamental physical properties and potential applications of next-generation electronic devices. Metal nano-particles form deep quantum wells between control and tunnel oxides due to a difference in work functions. The charge storage capacity of nanoparticles has led to their use in the development of nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) devices. When compared with conventional floating gate memory devices, NFGM devices offer a number of advantages that have attracted a great deal of attention: a greater inherent scalability, better endurance, a faster write/erase speed, and more processes that are compatible with conventional silicon processes. To improve the performance of NFGM, metal nanocrystals such as Au, Ag, Ni Pt, and W have been proposed due to superior density, a strong coupling with the conduction channel, a wide range of work function selectivity, and a small energy perturbation. In the present study, bismuth metal nanocrystals were self-assembled within high-k $Bi_2Mg_{2/3}Nb_{4/3}O_7$ (BMN) films grown at room temperature in Ar ambient via radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The work function of the bismuth metal nanocrystals (4.34 eV) was important for nanocrystal-based nonvolatile memory (NVM) applications. If transparent NFGM devices can be integrated with transparent solar cells, non-volatile memory fields will open a new platform for flexible electron devices.