High-temperature charge loss mechanism in a floating-gate EPROM with an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) interpoly stacked dielectric

Author

Pan, Chen-Sheng ; Wu, Ken ; Chin, David ; Sery, George ; Kiely, John

Author_Institution

Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA, USA

Volume

12

Issue

9

fYear

1991

Firstpage

506

Lastpage

503

Abstract

The intrinsic charge loss rate of a floating-gate EPROM cell at temperatures above 300 degrees C appears to be much higher than the prediction from the authors´ previous model (1990) developed at lower temperatures. A detailed study of intrinsic charge loss rate at temperatures ranging from 340 to 430 degrees C reveals that it follows a Frenkel-Poole model with a barrier height of 1.9 eV. The physical origin of this high-temperature charge loss is proposed. The model suggests that electrons leak through the thin bottom poly oxide and nitride, and then thermally surmount the barrier at the nitride/top-oxide interface.<>

Keywords

EPROM; Poole-Frenkel effect; dielectric thin films; 340 to 430 degC; Frenkel-Poole model; ONO interpoly stacked dielectric; SiO/sub 2/-Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/-SiO/sub 2/; charge loss mechanism; electron leakage; floating-gate EPROM; high-temperature charge loss; intrinsic charge loss rate; nitride/top-oxide interface; Charge measurement; Current measurement; Dielectric losses; EPROM; Electrons; Oxidation; PROM; Predictive models; Temperature distribution; Threshold voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/55.116933

Filename

116933