Tunnel Oxide Growth on Silicon With “Wet Nitrous Oxide” Process for Improved Performance Characteristics

In this letter, the authors present the process, growth kinetics, and electrical characteristics of tunnel oxides grown by furnace oxidation of silicon at 800 degC in an ambient of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and water vapor. Tunnel oxides of thickness 82-92 Aring are grown by this "wet N₂O oxidation" process, and the electrical characteristics such as the capacitance-voltage, current-voltage, voltage ramp, time-dependent dielectric breakdown, and charge to breakdown are evaluated using MOS capacitor as the diagnostic device. The results obtained clearly demonstrate superior performance characteristics of this oxide for Flash memory applications, with excellent charge to breakdown and minimum change in the gate voltage during constant current stressing