Electrical memory features of ferromagnetic CoFeAlSi nano-particles embedded in metal-oxide-semiconductor matrix

Half-metallic Heusler material Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 (CFAS) nano-particles (NPs) embedded in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures with thin HfO2 tunneling and MgO control oxides were investigated. The CFAS NPs were prepared by rapid thermal annealing. The formation of well-controlled CFAS NPs on thin HfO2 tunneling oxide was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Memory characteristics of CFAS NPs in MOS devices exhibited a large memory window of 4.65 V, as well as good retention and endurance times of 105 cycles and 109 s, respectively, demonstrating the potential of CFAS NPs as promising candidates for use in charge storage.