Comparative analysis of trap-based program/erase behaviors with different tunnel barriers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Semiconductor Device Physics

Background:

• Oxide-Nitride-Oxide (ONO) structures are crucial for non-volatile memory devices.
• Optimizing tunnel dielectric properties is key to improving memory performance and reliability.
• Current ONO devices face limitations in speed and data retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively analyze trap-based memory characteristics of ONO devices with different tunnel dielectrics.
• To investigate the impact of a bandgap engineered tunnel dielectric on ONO device performance.
• To assess improvements in memory speed and data retention.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of two types of ONO devices: conventional single tunnel oxide and bandgap engineered structure.
• Characterization of trap-based memory properties.
• Experimental analysis of charge storage and retention.

Main Results:

• The bandgap engineered ONO device demonstrated a 2-4 times promotion in memory speed compared to the conventional device.
• Significant improvements in 10-year data retention were observed in the bandgap engineered device.
• The engineered device exhibits both fast program/erase (P/E) operation speeds and excellent long-term data retention.

Conclusions:

• The bandgap engineered tunnel barrier is a promising approach for performance optimization in scaled SONOS flash memory.
• This engineered structure offers a viable solution for achieving faster operation and enhanced data reliability.
• Future scaled SONOS flash memory can benefit from the integration of bandgap engineered tunnel barriers.