Poly-Si Thin-Film Transistor Nonvolatile Memory Using Ge Nanocrystals as a Charge Trapping Layer Deposited by the Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition

Author

Kuo, Po-Yi ; Chao, Tien-Sheng ; Huang, Jyun-Siang ; Lei, Tan-Fu

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electrophys., Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu

Volume

30

Issue

3

fYear

2009

fDate

3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

234

Lastpage

236

Abstract

We have successfully developed and fabricated a poly-Si thin-film transistor (poly-Si TFT) nonvolatile memory using Ge nanocrystals (Ge-NCs) as a charge trapping layer. Process compatibility and memory operation of the device were investigated. The Ge-NC trapping layer was directly deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition at 370^degC. Results show that the new poly-Si TFT nonvolatile Ge-NC memory has good programming/erasing efficiency, long charge retention time, and good endurance characteristics. These results show that poly-Si TFT nonvolatile Ge-NC memory is the promising nonvolatile memory candidate for system-on-panel application in the future.

Keywords

chemical vapour deposition; elemental semiconductors; germanium; nanostructured materials; random-access storage; silicon; thin film transistors; Ge; Si; TFT; charge trapping layer; low-pressure chemical vapor deposition; nanocrystals; nonvolatile memory; system-on-panel application; temperature 370 degC; thin-film transistor; Charge retention; Ge nanocrystals (Ge-NCs); endurance; nonvolatile memory; polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs); programming/erasing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2008.2011145

Filename

4781791