We propose and investigate a novel metal/SiO_2/Si_3N_4/SiO_2/SiGe charge trapping flash memory structure（named as MONOS）, utilizing Si Ge as the buried channel. The fabricated memory device demonstrates excellent pr...We propose and investigate a novel metal/SiO_2/Si_3N_4/SiO_2/SiGe charge trapping flash memory structure（named as MONOS）, utilizing Si Ge as the buried channel. The fabricated memory device demonstrates excellent programerasable characteristics attributed to the fact that more carriers are generated by the smaller bandgap of Si Ge during program/erase operations. A flat-band voltage shift 2.8 V can be obtained by programming at ＋11 V for 100 us. Meanwhile, the memory device exhibits a large memory window of ~7.17 V under ±12 V sweeping voltage, and a negligible charge loss of 18% after 104 s＇ retention. In addition, the leakage current density is lower than 2.52 × 10^（-7） A·cm^（-2） below a gate breakdown voltage of 12.5 V. Investigation of leakage current-voltage indicates that the Schottky emission is the predominant conduction mechanisms for leakage current. These desirable characteristics are ascribed to the higher trap density of the Si_3N_4 charge trapping layer and the better quality of the interface between the SiO_2 tunneling layer and the Si Ge buried channel. Therefore, the application of the Si Ge buried channel is very promising to construct 3 D charge trapping NAND flash devices with improved operation characteristics.展开更多
： Metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon （MONOS） capacitors with thermally grown SiO2 as the tunnel layer are fabricated, and the effects of different ambient nitridation （NH3, NO and N20） on the characteristics of th...： Metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon （MONOS） capacitors with thermally grown SiO2 as the tunnel layer are fabricated, and the effects of different ambient nitridation （NH3, NO and N20） on the characteristics of the memory capacitors are investigated. The experimental results indicate that the device with tunnel oxide annealed in NO ambient exhibits excellent memory characteristics, i.e. a large memory window, high program/erase speed, and good endurance and retention performance （the charge loss rate is 14.5% after l0 years）. The mechanism involved is that much more nitrogen is incorporated into the tunnel oxide during NO annealing, resulting in a lower tunneling barrier height and smaller interface state density. Thus, there is a higher tunneling rate under a high electric field and a lower probability of trap-assisted tunneling during retention, as compared to N20 annealing. Furthermore, compared with the NH3-annealed device, no weak Si-H bonds and electron traps related to the hydrogen are introduced for the NO-annealed devices, giving a high-quality and high-reliability SiON tunneling layer and SiON/Si interface due to the suitable nitridation and oxidation roles of NO. Key words： MONOS memory; memory characteristics; annealing; nitridation展开更多
基金Supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China under Grant No 2013ZX02303007the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant No 2016YFA0301701the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No 2016112
文摘We propose and investigate a novel metal/SiO_2/Si_3N_4/SiO_2/SiGe charge trapping flash memory structure（named as MONOS）, utilizing Si Ge as the buried channel. The fabricated memory device demonstrates excellent programerasable characteristics attributed to the fact that more carriers are generated by the smaller bandgap of Si Ge during program/erase operations. A flat-band voltage shift 2.8 V can be obtained by programming at ＋11 V for 100 us. Meanwhile, the memory device exhibits a large memory window of ~7.17 V under ±12 V sweeping voltage, and a negligible charge loss of 18% after 104 s＇ retention. In addition, the leakage current density is lower than 2.52 × 10^（-7） A·cm^（-2） below a gate breakdown voltage of 12.5 V. Investigation of leakage current-voltage indicates that the Schottky emission is the predominant conduction mechanisms for leakage current. These desirable characteristics are ascribed to the higher trap density of the Si_3N_4 charge trapping layer and the better quality of the interface between the SiO_2 tunneling layer and the Si Ge buried channel. Therefore, the application of the Si Ge buried channel is very promising to construct 3 D charge trapping NAND flash devices with improved operation characteristics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.60976091)
文摘： Metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon （MONOS） capacitors with thermally grown SiO2 as the tunnel layer are fabricated, and the effects of different ambient nitridation （NH3, NO and N20） on the characteristics of the memory capacitors are investigated. The experimental results indicate that the device with tunnel oxide annealed in NO ambient exhibits excellent memory characteristics, i.e. a large memory window, high program/erase speed, and good endurance and retention performance （the charge loss rate is 14.5% after l0 years）. The mechanism involved is that much more nitrogen is incorporated into the tunnel oxide during NO annealing, resulting in a lower tunneling barrier height and smaller interface state density. Thus, there is a higher tunneling rate under a high electric field and a lower probability of trap-assisted tunneling during retention, as compared to N20 annealing. Furthermore, compared with the NH3-annealed device, no weak Si-H bonds and electron traps related to the hydrogen are introduced for the NO-annealed devices, giving a high-quality and high-reliability SiON tunneling layer and SiON/Si interface due to the suitable nitridation and oxidation roles of NO. Key words： MONOS memory; memory characteristics; annealing; nitridation
