Dual phase TiO(x)N(y)/TiN charge trapping layer for low-voltage and high-speed flash memory application

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Flash memory is crucial for data storage.
• Improving charge trapping layers enhances performance and retention.
• Titanium nitride (TiN) is a promising material for memory devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize flash memory with a dual phase TiO(x)N(y)/TiN charge trapping layer.
• To investigate the electrical properties and performance of the novel trapping layer.
• To assess the potential for low-voltage, high-speed operations and long data retention.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of TiO(x)N(y)/TiN charge trapping layer via partial oxidation of TiN.
• Material characterization using High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
• Electrical property measurements including programming/erasing speeds and data retention tests.

Main Results:

• Confirmed formation of TiO(x)N(y)/TiN and TiO(x)N(y)/SiO(x)N(y) layers.
• Achieved enlarged conduction (3.6 eV) and valence (2.5 eV) band offsets to SiO2.
• Demonstrated low-voltage (+/- 6 V) and fast programming/erasing operations (2.7 x 10^4 V/s and -5.1 x 10^4 V/s).
• Exhibited excellent 10-year data retention with <35% V(th) decay due to suppressed charge leakage.

Conclusions:

• The dual phase TiO(x)N(y)/TiN charge trapping layer is highly effective for advanced flash memory.
• The material's properties facilitate efficient charge trapping and reduced leakage.
• This technology offers a pathway to next-generation non-volatile memory with superior performance and reliability.