Effects of CHE and CHISEL programming operation on the characteristics of SONOS memory

This paper presents the characteristics of programmed SONOS memory. The CHE and CHISEL programming mechanisms are analyzed and the effects of programming bias to the program speed and saturated VT under different program methods are studied. It shows that compared with CHE operation, CHISEL program has a lower voltage bias for the same program speed, and better threshold self-convergent character. The distribution of trapped charges in the silicon nitride layer after CHE or CHISEL program is also investigated. The research shows that the different charge distributions have different impacts to the I_d-V_g and erase characteristics.