Loading…
Improvement of the current-voltage characteristics of a tunneling dielectric by adopting a Si 3 N 4 ∕ Si O 2 ∕ Si 3 N 4 multilayer for flash memory application
Superior characteristics of an atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) Si 3 N 4 layer and Si 3 N 4 ∕ Si O 2 ∕ Si 3 N 4 stacked layers as a tunneling gate dielectric for nonvolatile flash memory application are reported. Compared to a single layer of Si O 2 electric field-sensitive characteristics were obtained...
Saved in:
Published in: | Applied physics letters 2005-10, Vol.87 (15), p.152106-152106-3 |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites |
Online Access: | Get full text |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
Summary: | Superior characteristics of an atomic-layer-deposited (ALD)
Si
3
N
4
layer and
Si
3
N
4
∕
Si
O
2
∕
Si
3
N
4
stacked layers as a tunneling gate dielectric for nonvolatile flash memory application are reported. Compared to a single layer of
Si
O
2
electric field-sensitive characteristics were obtained by barrier profile engineering with a stacked layer; a lower leakage current at a low field and a higher leakage current at a high field. The stacked dielectric layer showed Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. However, the interfacial potential barrier profile was somewhat smoothed by chemical interaction between the individual layers. The interfacial trap density of this dielectric with an ALD
Si
3
N
4
bottom layer was as low as
4
×
10
−
10
∕
cm
2
eV
near the mid-gap energy state, but the reoxidation process degraded the interface quality. The degradation mechanism was studied. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 0003-6951 1077-3118 |
DOI: | 10.1063/1.2093932 |