Nanoparticles for making supercapacitor and diode structures

A method of making a supercapacitor in a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

• etching a trench through an oxide layer to a top surface of a doped silicon (Si) substrate;
• filling said trench with doped Si nanoparticles of the same composition as said doped Si substrate;
• annealing said doped Si nanoparticles to form a 3-dimensional (3D) aggregate of annealed doped Si nanoparticles, each of said annealed doped Si nanoparticles retaining a similar shape and electrically connecting one to another to said top surface of said doped Si substrate, forming a first electrode;
• forming an oxide dielectric on a surface of said 3D aggregate of said annealed doped Si nanoparticles and on portions of said top surface of said doped Si substrate;
• and
• depositing a chemical vapor of Si and a dopant to fill interstices between surfaces of said oxide dielectric with doped Si and to form a layer of said doped Si on a top portion of said oxide dielectric between walls of said trench, forming a solid second conductor, as a second electrode of said supercapacitor.

A method of making a diode in a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

• etching a trench within a doped silicon (Si) substrate of a first charge-type;
• forming a sidewall on said trench with doped Si of a second charge-type;
• filling said trench with said sidewall with a mixture of first doped Si nanoparticles of said first charge-type and of second doped Si nanoparticle of said second charge-type;
• and
• annealing and reflowing said mixture of said first doped Si nanoparticles and said second doped Si nanoparticles, to form:
• a first 3-dimensional (3D) region of annealed, reflowed doped Si of said first charge-type electrically connected to said doped Si substrate,
• a second 3D region of annealed, reflowed doped Si of said second charge-type electrically connected to said sidewall, and
• a first surface portion of said first 3D region of said annealed, reflowed doped Si of said first charge-type being annealed and electrically connected to a second surface portion of said second 3D region of said annealed, reflowed doped Si of said second-charge type, forming a p-n junction of said diode.