Charge storage characteristics of high density Mo nanocrystal embedded in silicon oxide and silicon nitride

Abstract

We investigated the formation and charge storage characteristics of Mo nanocrystals in silicon oxide and in silicon nitride by rapid thermal annealing of oxygen- and nitrogen-incorporated Mo and Si mixed layers. A high density of Mo nanocrystal (6 x 10(12) cm(-2)) was formed in the nitrogen-incorporated layer. Electrical analyses indicated that the memory window of the Mo nanocrystal embedded in the nitride is larger than that in the oxide. A reliability test showed that the Mo nanocrystal in the nitride has better reliability than the Mo nanocrystal in the oxide, which was explained by an electrical field simulation.