• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.436-440
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• 2009

The structural and electrical properties of $Al_2O_3/La_2O_3/Al_2O_3$ (ALA) films using a tunnel oxide annealed at various temperatures were investigated. The program/erase properties of the ALA films using the tunnel oxide annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ were superior to others. The program/erase voltage and time of the ALA films using the tunnel oxide annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ were 11 V for 10 ms (program) and -11 V for 100 ms (erase), respectively, and the corresponding memory window was about 1.59 V. In the retention test, the $V_{th}$ distributions of all films were not changed up to about $10^4$ cycles. In this study, all data showed sufficient characteristics to be used in flash memory devices.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.914-920
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• 2000

When the charge-trap type SONOS(polysilicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor) cells are used to flash memory, the tunneling program/erase condition to minimize the generation of interface traps was investigated. SONOSFET NVSM(Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory) cells were fabricated using 0.35 ㎛ standard memory cell embedded logic process including the ONO cell process, based on retrograde twin-well, single-poly, single metal CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) process. The thickness of ONO triple-dielectric for the memory cell is tunnel oxide of 24 $\AA$, nitride of 74 $\AA$, blocking oxide of 25 $\AA$, respectively. The program mode(V$\_$g/=7, 8, 9 V, V$\_$s/=V$\_$d/=-3 V, V$\_$b/=floating) and the erase mode(V$\_$g/=-4, -5, -6 V, V$\_$s/=V$\_$d/=floating, V$\_$b/=3 V) by MFN(Modified Fowler-Nordheim) tunneling were used. The proposed programming condition for the flash memory of SONOSFET NVSM cells showed less degradation(ΔV$\_$th/, S, G$\_$m/) characteristics than channel MFN tunneling operation. Also, the program inhibit conditins of unselected cell for separated source lines NOR-type flash memory application were investigated. we demonstrated that the phenomenon of the program disturb did not occur at source/drain voltage of 1 V∼12 V and gate voltage of -8 V∼4 V.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.476-482
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• 1996

The multi-dielectric layer SiO$_{2}$/Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$/SiO$_{2}$(ONO) is used to improve electrical capacitance and to scale down the memory device. In this paper, improvement of the capacitance by reducing the bottom oxide thickness in the nitride deposition with load lock(L/L) vacuum system is studied. Bottom oxide thickness under the nitride layer is measured by ellipsometer both in L/L and non-L/L systems. Both results are in the range of 3-10.angs. and 10-15.angs., respectively, independent of the nitride and top oxide thickness. Effective thickness and cell capacitance for SONOS capacitor are in the range of 50-52.angs. and 35-37fF respectively in the case of nitride 70.angs. in L/L vacuum system. Compared with non-L/L system, the bottom oxide thickness in the case of L/L system decreases while cell capacitance increases about 4 fF. The results obtained in this study are also applicable to ONO scaling in the thin bottom oxide region of memory stacked capacitor.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 1994

The multi-dielectric layer SiOz/Si3N4/SiO2(ONO) is used to scale down the memory device. In this paper, the change of composition in ONO layer due to the process condition and the conduction mechanism are observed. The composition of the oxide film grown through the oxidation of nitride film is analyzed using auger electron spectroscopy(AES). AES results show that oxygen concentration increases at the interface between oxide and nitride layers as the thickness -of the top oxide layer increases. Results of I-V measurement show that the insulating properties improve as the thickness of the top oxide layer increases. But when the thickness of the nitride layer decreases below 63.angs, insulating peoperties of film 28.angs. of top oxide and film 35.angs. turn over showing that insulating property of film 28.angs. of top oxide is better than that of film 35.angs. of top oxide. This phenomenon of turn over is thought as the result of generation of surface state due to oxygen flow into nitride during oxidation process. As the thickness of the top oxide and nitride increases, the electrical breakdown field increases, but when the thickness of top oxide reaches 35.angs, the same phenomenon of turn over occurs. Optimum film thickness for scaled multi-layer dielectric of memory device SONOS is estimated to be 63.angs. of nitride layer and 28.angs. of top oxide layer. In this case, maximum electrical breakdown field and leakage current are 18.5[MV/cm] and $8{\times}{10^-12}$[A], respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2011

Polysilicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs)는 능동행렬 액정 표시 소자(AMLCD : Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display)와 DRAM과 같은 메모리 분야에 폭넓게 적용이 가능하기 때문에 많은 연구가 진행되고 있다. 최근 poly-Si TFTs의 우수한 특성으로 인하여 주변 driving circuits에 직접화가 가능하게 되었다. 또한 디스플레이 LCD 패널에 controller와 메모리와 같은 다 기능의 장치을 직접화 하여 비용의 절감과 소자의 소형화가 가능한 SOP (System on panels)에 연구 또한 진행 되고 있다. 이미 잘 알려진 바와 같이 비휘발성 메모리는 낮은 소비전력과 비휘발성이라는 특성 때문에 이동식 디바이스에 데이터 저장 장치로 많이 사용되고 있다. 하지만 플로팅 타입의 비휘발성 메모리는 제작공정의 문제로 인하여 SOP의 적용에 어려움을 가지고 있다. SONOS 타입의 메모리는 빠른 쓰기/지우기 효율과 긴 데이터 유지 특성을 가지고 있으나 소자의 스케일링 따른 누설전류의 증가와 10년의 데이터 보존 특성을 만족 시킬 수 가 없는 문제가 발생한다. 본 연구에서는 SOP 적용을 위하여 ELA 방법을 통하여 결정화한 poly-Si TFT memory를 SiO2/Si3N4/SiO2 Tunnel barrier와 High-k HfO2과 Al2O3을 Trapping layer와 Blocking layer로 적용, 비휘발성 메모리을 제작하여 전기적 특성을 알아보았다.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.231-235
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• 1994

The multi-dielectric layer $SiO_2$/$Si_3{N_4}$/$SiO_2$ (ONO) is used to improve charge retention and to scale down the memory device. The nitride layer of MNOS device is oxidize to form ONO system. During the oxidation of the nitride layer, the change of thickness of nitride layer and generation of interface state between nitride layer and top oxide layer occur. In this paper, effects of oxidation of the nitride layer is studied. The decreases of the nitride layer due to oxidation and trapping characteristics of interface state of multi layer dielectric film are investigated through the C-V measurement and F-N tunneling injection experiment using SONOS capacitor structure. Based on the experimental results, carrier trapping model for maximum flatband voltage shift of multi layer dielectric film is proposed and compared with experimental data. As a results of curve fitting, interface trap density between the top oxide and layer is determined as being $5{\times}10^11$~$2{\times}10^12$[$eV^1$$cm^2$].

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2016

We investigate the effect of interface states on the endurance of a charge trap flash (CTF) NOR array using charge pumping methods. The endurance test was completed from one cell selected randomly from 128 bit cells, where the memory window value after 10² program/erase (P/E) cycles decreased slightly from 2.2 V to 1.7 V. However, the memory window closure abruptly accelerated after 10³ P/E cycles or more (i.e. 0.97 V or 0.7 V) due to a degraded programming speed. On the other hand, the interface trap density (Nit) gradually increased from 3.13×10¹¹ cm⁻² for the initial state to 4×10¹² cm⁻² for 10² P/E cycles. Over 10³ P/E cycles, the Nit increased dramatically from 5.51×10¹² cm⁻² for 10³ P/E cycles to 5.79×10¹² cm⁻² for 10⁴ P/E cycles due to tunnel oxide damages. These results show good correlation between the interface traps and endurance degradation of CTF devices in actual flash cell arrays.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.219-219
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• 2010

기존의 플로팅 타입의 메모리는 소자의 소형화에 따른 인접 셀 간의 커플링 현상과 전계에 따른 누설전류의 증가 등과 같은 문제가 발생한다. 이에 대한 해결책으로서 전하 저장 층을 폴리실리콘에서 유전체를 사용하는 SONOS 형태의 메모리와 NFGM (Nano-Floating Gate Memory)연구가 되고 있다. 그러나 높은 구동 전압, 느린 쓰기/지우기 속도 그리고 10년의 전하보존에 대한 리텐션 특성을 만족을 시키지 못하는 문제가 있다. 이러한 문제를 해결 하고자 터널베리어를 엔지니어링 하는 TBM (Tunnel Barrier Engineering Memory) 기술에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행 중이다. TBM 기술은 터널 층을 매우 얇은 다층의 유전체를 사용하여 전계에 따른 터널베리어의 민감도를 증가시킴으로써 빠른 쓰기/지우기 동작이 가능하며, 10년의 전하 보존 특성을 만족 시킬 수 있는 차세대 비휘발성 메모리 기술이다. 또한 고유전율 물질을 터널층으로 이용하면 메모리 특성을 향상 시킬 수가 있다. 일반적으로 TBM 기술에는 VARIOT 구조와 CRESTED 구조로 나눠지는데 본 연구에서는 두 구조의 장점을 가지는 Staggered tunnel barrier 구조를 $Si_3N_4$와 HfAlO을 이용하여 디자인 하였다. 이때 HfO2와 Al2O3의 조성비는 3:1의 조성을 갖는다. $Si_3N_4$와 HfAlO을 각각 3 nm로 적층하여 리세스(Recess) 구조의 트랜지스터를 제작하여 차세대 비휘발성 메모리로써의 가능성을 알아보았다.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.37-43
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• 2008

In this paper, the dependence of electrical characteristics of Silicon-$Al_2O_3$-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SANOS) memory cell transistors and program/erase (P/E) speed, reliability of memory device on interface trap between Si substrate and tunneling oxide and bulk trap in nitride layer were investigated using charge pumping method which has advantage of simple and versatile technique. We analyzed different SANOS memory devices that were fabricated by the identical processing in a single lot except the deposition method of the charge trapping layer, nitride. In the case of P/E speed, it was shown that P/E speed is slower in the SANOS cell transistors with larger capture cross section and interface trap density by charge blocking effect, which is confirmed by simulation results. However, the data retention characteristics show much less dependence on interface trap. The data retention was deteriorated as increasing P/E cycling number but not coincides with interface trap increasing tendency. This result once again confirmed that interface trap independence on data retention. And the result on different program method shows that HCI program method more degraded by locally trapping. So, we know as a result of experiment that analysis the SANOS Flash memory characteristic using charge pumping method reflect the device performance related to interface and bulk trap.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.94-95
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• 2007

In this paper, the dependence of electrical characteristics of Silicon-$Al_2O_3$-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SANOS) memory cell transistors and program speed, reliability of memory device on interface trap between Si substrate and tunneling oxide was investigated. The devices were fabricated by the identical processing in a single lot except the deposition method of the charge trapping layer, nitride. In the case of P/E speed, it was shown that P/E speed is slower in the SONOS cell transistors with larger interface trap density by charge blocking effect, which is confirmed by simulation results. However, the data retention characteristics show much less dependence on interface trap. Therefore, to improve SANOS memory characteristic, it is very important to optimize the interface trap and charge trapping layer.