Analysis of charge loss in nonvolatile memory with multi-layered SiC nanocrystals

作者：Lee Dong Uk; Lee Tae Hee; Kim Eun Kyu^*; Shin Jin Wook; Cho Won Ju

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2009, 95(6): 063501.

DOI：10.1063/1.3205112

• electron traps
• hole traps
• leakage currents
• multilayers
• nanoparticles
• Poole-Frenkel effect
• random-access storage
• semiconductor quantum dots
• silicon compounds
• wide band gap semiconductors

A nonvolatile memory device with multilayered SiC nanocrystals for long-term data storage was fabricated, and its electrical properties were analyzed. The average size and density of the SiC nanocrystals, which were formed between the tunnel and control oxide layers, were approximately 5 nm and 2x10(12) cm(-2), respectively. The memory window of nonvolatile memory with the multilayer of SiC nanocrystals was about 2.5 V after program and erase voltages of +/- 12 V were applied for 500 ms, and then it was maintained at about 1.1 V for 10(5) s at 75 degrees C. The activation energy estimated from charge losses of 25% to 50% increased from 0.03 to 0.30 eV, respectively. The charge loss could be caused by a Pool-Frenkel current of holes and electrons between the SiC quantum dots and the carrier charge traps around the SiC nanocrystals embedded in SiO(2) or the degradation effect of the tunnel oxide by stress induced leakage current.

• 出版日期2009-8-10