Performance, degradation monitors, and reliability of the CHISEL injection regime

This work reviews recent results concerning the performance and reliability of the channel initiated secondary electron (CHISEL) injection regime, often used to boost the programming speed of Flash memories. In order to relate the CHISEL behavior to the physical conditions existing in the device, the injection efficiency of CHISEL is studied on single transistors. A comparison between the degradation in the CHISEL injection and in the channel hot electron (CHE) stress regime has been also performed, and the most relevant electrical monitor for the degradation is assessed. It is confirmed that the CHISEL mechanism is promising for the realization of faster and more efficient Flash memory cells.