Long-term electron leakage mechanisms through ONO interpoly dielectric in stacked-gate EEPROM cells

Analyzing the measured shift rate of cell threshold-voltage, we have studied the long-term electron leakage mechanisms through an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) interpoly dielectric, which causes reliability problems due to the degradation of the data retention characteristics in the stacked-gate Flash EEPROM devices. The cell threshold-voltage shifts were measured as a function of bake time at various temperatures by the high-temperature accelerated test. Based on the experimental results, a new empirical model was developed and evaluated. It can explain the dominant mechanisms for the spontaneous charge leakage through an ONO interpoly dielectric for the long-term phase. The model clearly shows that cell threshold-voltage shifts during the baking test are caused predominantly by the thermally activated direct-tunneling when electrons, after escaping from the internitride trap-sites near the top oxide of ONO layer by the thermionic emission mechanism, finally tunnel through the thin top oxide to the control gate. This interpretation is strongly supported by the V_T-shift and temperature dependence of the V_T-shift rate, showing that the simulation results are well fit to the experimental data.