0000000001109608
AUTHOR
M. Melanotte
Reliability and Retention Study of Nanocrystal Cell Array
We have studied nanocrystal memory arrays with 2.56 × 105 cells (256kb) in which Si nanocrystals have been obtained by CVD deposition on a 4nm tunnel oxide. The cells in the array are programmed and erased by electron tunneling through the SiO2 dielectric. We find that the threshold voltage distribution has little spread. In addition the arrays are also very robust with respect to drain stress and show good retention.
Nanocrystal MOS with silicon-rich oxide
By electrical measurements we investigate the charge trapping and the charge transport in MOS capacitors in which the gate oxide has been replaced with a silicon rich oxide (SRO) film sandwiched between two thin SiO2 layers.
Memory effects in MOS capacitors with silicon quantum dots
To form crystalline Si dots embedded in SiO2, we have deposited thin films of silicon-rich oxide (SRO) by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of SiH4 and O2. Then the materials have been annealed in N2 ambient at temperatures between 950°C and 1100°C. Under such processing, the supersaturation of Si in the amorphous SRO film produces the formation of crystalline Si dots embedded in SiO2. The narrow dot size distributions, analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, are characterized by average grain radii and standard deviations down to about 1 nm. The memory functions of such structures has been investigated in MOS capacitors with a SRO film sandwiched between two thin SiO2 layers …
Location of holes in silicon-rich oxide as memory states
The induced changes of the flatband voltage by the location of holes in a silicon-rich oxide (SRO) film sandwiched between two thin SiO 2 layers [used as gate dielectric in a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor] can be used as the two states of a memory cell. The principle of operation is based on holes permanently trapped in the SRO layer and reversibly moved up and down, close to the metal and the semiconductor, in order to obtain the two logic states of the memory. The concept has been verified by suitable experiments on MOS structures. The device exhibits an excellent endurance behavior and, due to the low mobility of the holes at low field in the SRO layer, a much longer refresh …
Peculiar aspects of nanocrystal memory cells: Data and extrapolations
Nanocrystal memory cell are a promising candidate for the scaling of nonvolatile memories in which the conventional floating gate is replaced by an array of nanocrystals. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a thorough investigation of the possibilities and the limitations of such new memory cell. In particular, we focus on devices characterized by a very thin tunnel oxide layer and by silicon nanocrystals formed by chemical vapor deposition. The direct tunneling of the electrons through the tunnel oxide, their storage into the silicon nanocrystals, and furthermore, retention, endurance, and drain turn-on effects, well-known issues for nonvolatile memories, are all investigate…
Multi-bit storage through Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2
We have realized Si nanocrystal memory cells in which the Si dots have been deposited by CVD on SiO2 and then covered by a CVD control oxide. In this paper, we report a study on the potential of these cells for dual bit storage. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Effects of nitridation by N2O or NO on the electrical properties of thin gate or tunnel oxides
We have studied the effects of nitridation on the leakage current of thin (7-8 nm) gate or tunnel oxides. A polarity dependence of the tunneling current has been found this behavior is related to the presence of a thin silicon oxynitride layer at the SiO2/Si-substrate interface. The oxynitride layer lowers the tunneling current when electrons are injected from the interface where the oxynitride is located (substrate injection). The current flowing across the oxide when electrons are injected from the opposite interface (gate injection) is not influenced by the oxynitride. The increase of nitrogen concentration leads to a decrease of the tunneling current for substrate electron injection.
Memory effects in MOS devices based on Si quantum dots
Silicon quantum dots have been deposited on top of a 3-nm tunnel oxide by Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition (LPCVD) and coated with a 7-nm Chemical Vapour Deposited (CVD) oxide. This stack was then incorporated in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor structure and used as floating gate of a memory cell. The presence of 3 nm of tunnel oxides allows the injection of the charge by direct tunnel (DT) using low voltages for both program and erase operations. The charge stored in the quantum dots is able to produce a well-detectable flat band shift in the capacitors or, equivalently, a threshold voltage shift in the transistors. Furthermore, due to the presence of SiO 2 between the grains, the lateral…
How far will Silicon nanocrystals push the scaling limits of NVMs technologies?
For the first time, memory devices with optimized high density (2E12#/cm/sup 2/) LPCVD Si nanocrystals have been reproducibly achieved and studied on an extensive statistical basis (from single cell up to 1 Mb test-array) under different programming conditions. An original experimental and theoretical analysis of the threshold voltage shift distribution shows that Si nanocrystals have serious potential to push the scaling of NOR and NAND flash at least to the 35 nm and 65 nm nodes, respectively.
Memory effects in single-electron nanostructures
We investigate the memory function at room temperature in devices based on quantum dots. By Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition (LPCVD) we deposited Si dots embedded in SiO2. On these devices flat band voltage shifts were well detected at low write voltages for write times of the order of milliseconds, and furthermore, a plateau in the flat band voltage shift, maybe consequence of Coulomb blockdale, was observed.
Memory cell structure integrated on semiconductor
This invention relates to a memory cell Which comprises a capacitor having a ?rst electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric layer. Such dielectric layer com prises a layer of a semi-insulating material Which is fully enveloped by an insulating material and in Which an electric charge is permanently present or trapped therein. Such electric charge accumulated close to the ?rst or to the second electrode, depending on the electric ?eld betWeen the electrodes,therebyde?ningdifferentlogiclevels.