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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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2005-10, Vol.87 (15), p.152106-152106-3
Main Authors: Hong, Sug Hun, Jang, Jae Hyuck, Park, Tae Joo, Jeong, Doo Seok, Kim, Miyoung, Hwang, Cheol Seong, Won, Jeong Yeon
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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