Title :
A comparative study of SILC transient characteristics and mechanisms in FN stressed and hot hole stressed tunnel oxides
Author :
Zous, Nian-Kai ; Wang, Tahui ; Yeh, Chih-Chich ; Tsai, Ching-Wei ; Huang, Chimoon
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. Eng., Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan
Abstract :
High field stressing during program/erase cycles in flash EEPROM operation can lead to a significant increase in low-level leakage current in tunnel oxides. Stress induced leakage current (SILC) has received a lot of attention recently due to its significance to the data retention and endurance characteristics of flash memory cells. In this paper, the mechanisms and transient characteristics of hot hole stress and FN stress induced excess leakage currents in tunnel oxides are investigated. Hot hole SILC is found to have a more pronounced transient effect. The transient is attributed to positive oxide charge detrapping and thus annihilation of positive charge-assisted tunneling current. The positive charge assisted tunneling current can be annealed by substrate hot electron injection. The DC and transient components in FN SILC are also discussed
Keywords :
charge injection; dielectric thin films; flash memories; high field effects; hot carriers; integrated circuit measurement; integrated memory circuits; leakage currents; transient analysis; tunnelling; FN SILC DC component; FN SILC transient component; FN stress induced excess leakage currents; FN stressed tunnel oxides; SILC; SILC mechanisms; SILC transient characteristics; SiO2-Si; data retention; endurance characteristics; flash EEPROM; flash memory cell; high field stress; hot hole SILC; hot hole stress induced excess leakage currents; hot hole stressed tunnel oxides; low-level leakage current; positive charge assisted tunneling current; positive charge-assisted tunneling current annihilation; positive oxide charge detrapping; program/erase cycles; stress induced leakage current; substrate hot electron injection annealing; transient characteristics; transient effect; tunnel oxides; Annealing; EPROM; Hot carriers; Lead compounds; Leakage current; MOSFET circuits; Stress; Substrate hot electron injection; Threshold voltage; Tunneling;
Conference_Titel :
Reliability Physics Symposium Proceedings, 1999. 37th Annual. 1999 IEEE International
Conference_Location :
San Diego, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5220-3
DOI :
10.1109/RELPHY.1999.761647
