Title :
Effect of SiN on Performance and Reliability of Charge Trap Flash (CTF) Under Fowler–Nordheim Tunneling Program/Erase Operation
Author :
Sandhya, C. ; Ganguly, Udayan ; Chattar, Nihit ; Olsen, Christopher ; Seutter, Sean M. ; Date, Lucien ; Hung, Raymond ; Vasi, Juzer M. ; Mahapatra, Souvik
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Indian Inst. of Technol. Bombay, Mumbai
Abstract :
Silicon-nitride trap layer stoichiometry in charge trap flash (CTF) memory strongly impacts electron and hole trap properties, memory performance, and reliability. Important tradeoffs between program/erase (P/E) levels (memory window), P- and E-state retention loss, and E-state window closure during cycling are shown. Increasing the Si richness of the SiN layer improves memory window, cycling endurance, and E-state retention loss but at the cost of higher P-state retention loss. The choice of SiN stoichiometry to optimize CTF memory performance and reliability is discussed.
Keywords :
circuit reliability; electron traps; flash memories; hole traps; silicon compounds; stoichiometry; CTF memory performance; E-state memory window retention loss; Fowler-Nordheim tunneling program/erase operation; P-state retention loss; SiN; charge trap flash memory reliability; electron trap properties; hole trap properties; silicon-nitride trap layer stoichiometry; Charge trap flash (CTF); SANOS; SONOS; cycling endurance; program/erase (P/E) window; retention; silicon nitride (SiN);
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LED.2008.2009552
