Giant, anomalous piezo-impedance of silicon-on-insulator

TL;DR

This paper reports a giant, frequency-dependent piezo-impedance response in silicon-on-insulator devices, revealing anomalous effects linked to electronic traps and interface defects, with implications for nano-silicon applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates a giant, anomalous piezo-response in FD-SOI devices and models the effects of electronic traps on this behavior, providing new insights into PZR phenomena.

Findings

Giant piezo-impedance response with maximum values of -1100 and -900 x 10^{-11} Pa^{-1}.

Anomalous PZR observed under non-steady-state conditions near trap capture/emission rates.

Steady-state PZR consistent with bulk silicon behavior.

Abstract

A giant, anomalous piezo-response of fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) devices under mechanical stress is demonstrated using impedance spectroscopy. This piezo-response strongly depends on the measurement frequency, $\omega$, and consists of both a piezoresistance (PZR) and piezocapacitance whose maximum values are $\pi_R = -1100 \times 10^{-11}$ Pa$^{-1}$ and $\pi_C = -900 \times 10^{-11}$ Pa$^{-1}$ respectively. These values should be compared with the usual bulk PZR in p-type silicon, $\pi_R= 70 \times 10^{-11}$ Pa$^{-1}$. The observations are well described using models of space charge limited electron and hole currents in the presence of fast electronic traps having stress-dependent capture ($\omega_c$) and emission rates. Under steady-state conditions (i.e. when $\omega \ll \omega_c$) where the impedance spectroscopy measurements yield results that are directly comparable with previously published reports of PZR in depleted, silicon nano-objects, the overall piezo-response is just the usual, bulk silicon PZR. Anomalous PZR is observed only under non-steady-state conditions when $\omega \approx \omega_c$, with a symmetry suggesting that the electro-mechanically active fast traps are native Pb$_0$ interface defects. The observations suggest new functionalities for FD-SOI, and shed light on the debate over the PZR of carrier depleted nano-silicon.