Improving the retention and endurance characteristics of charge-trapping memory by using double quantum barriers

Abstract

We have studied the performance of double-quantum-barrier [TaN - Ir(3)Si] - [HfAlO - LaAlO(3)] - Hf(0.3)N(0.2)O(0.5) - [HfAlO - SiO(2)]-Si charge-trapping memory devices. These devices display good characteristics in terms of their +/- 9-V program/erase (P/E) voltage, 100-mu s P/E speed, initial 3.2-V memory window, and ten-year extrapolated data retention window of 2.4 V at 150 degrees C. The retention decay rate is significantly better than single-barrier MONOS devices, as is the cycled retention data, due to the reduced-interface trap generation.