Title : 
Nb-Doped 
 
  as Charge-Trapping Layer for Nonvolatile Memory Applications
 
         
        
            Author : 
Runpu Shi ; Huang, X.D. ; Leung, C.H. ; Sin, Johnny K. O. ; Lai, P.T.
         
        
            Author_Institution : 
Dept. of Electr. & Electron. Eng., Univ. of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
         
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            Abstract : 
Charge-trapping properties of Nb-doped La2O3 (LaNbO) are investigated using an Al/Al2O3/LaNbO/SiO2/Si structure. Compared with the memory device with La2O3, the one with LaNbO shows better charge-trapping characteristics, including larger memory window (6.0 V at ±16 V sweeping voltage), higher programming speed (9.1 V at +16 V for 1 ms), and better retention property (94% charge retained after 104 s at 120°C), due to its higher trapping efficiency resulted from increased trap density and suppressed formation of a silicate interlayer at the LaNbO/SiO2 interface by the Nb doping. Therefore, LaNbO is a promising candidate as the charge-trapping layer for nonvolatile memory applications.
         
        
            Keywords : 
aluminium; aluminium compounds; electron traps; hole traps; lanthanum compounds; niobium; random-access storage; silicon; silicon compounds; Al-Al2O3-LaNbO-SiO2-Si; La2O3:Nb; charge trapping layer; high programming speed; memory retention; nonvolatile memory applications; trap density; Doping; Electron traps; Logic gates; MONOS devices; Materials; Niobium; Nonvolatile memory; Nb-doped $hbox{La}_{2}hbox{O}_{3}$ (LaNbO); Nb-doped La2O3 (LaNbO); Nonvolatile memory; charge-trapping; high- $k$ dielectric; high-k dielectric; nonvolatile memory;
         
        
        
            Journal_Title : 
Device and Materials Reliability, IEEE Transactions on
         
        
        
        
        
            DOI : 
10.1109/TDMR.2014.2376514