Amorphous Ge/Si Multilayer Structures as Models for Optical Memories

Abstract

ABSTRACTPrototype memory cells of a proposed three-bit memory device, whose optical read-out is based on the ellipsometric principle, nas been fabricated by deposition of 5 nm layers of amorphous silicon and amorphous germanium on crystalline silicon substrates. The differences in the ellipsometric parameters of memory cells corresponding to different logical states were much larger than the instrumental resolution. The possibility to optimize with respect to photon energy and angle of incidence is demonstrated.