Performance improvement of flash memory with a novel quasi-SOI structure

A novel quasi-silicon-on-insulator (quasi-SOI) flash memory cell is proposed for the first time. By utilizing quasi-SOI structure, program/erase (P/E) performance improvement is achieved due to the enhancement of electric field in the injection region, compared with conventional cell structure. Moreover, the off-state current at large drain bias is greatly reduced by 2 orders of magnitude with the help of the L-shaped dielectric layer, indicating better program-failure immunity and lower unexpected power consumption. With punch-through effect alleviated, the novel flash cells have better scalability. Through the results and analysis, the proposed flash cell can be a potential candidate for NOR-type applications.