Title :
Advanced flash memory technology and trends for file storage application
Author_Institution :
Flash Memory Dept., Toshiba Corp., Yokohama, Japan
Abstract :
This paper describes a high density flash memory technology suitable for file storage application. Requirements for file storage memory are low cost, high-speed programming and erasing, low power consumption and good endurance characteristics. In order to satisfy these requirements, key technologies of self-aligned STI (SA-STI) cell, uniform FN-FN program/erase scheme and multi-level-cell (MLC) technology have been developed. By using SA-STI technology, small cell size of 4F/sup 2/ (F: feature size) can be realized. Reliable tunnel oxide can be also obtained because the floating gate does not overlap the STI corner. As a result, reliable 512 Mbit flash memories with 0.145 um/sup 2/ cell size under 0.175 /spl mu/m design rule have been newly developed based on these technologies, as well as 0.25 /spl mu/m 256 Mbit. Moreover, MLC technology combined with this small cell size of 4F/sup 2/ can reduce bit cost more, and can expand the file storage market in the near future.
Keywords :
cellular arrays; flash memories; high-speed integrated circuits; integrated circuit reliability; low-power electronics; 0.175 micron; 0.25 micron; 256 Mbit; 512 Mbit; SA-STI; bit cost; cell size; design rule; endurance characteristics; feature size; file storage application; flash memory technology; high-speed erasing; high-speed programming; low power consumption; multi-level-cell technology; self-aligned STI; tunnel oxide; uniform FN-FN program/erase scheme; Cellular phones; Costs; DVD; Digital cameras; Electrons; Energy consumption; Flash memory; Isolation technology; Nonvolatile memory; Silicon;
Conference_Titel :
Electron Devices Meeting, 2000. IEDM '00. Technical Digest. International
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-6438-4
DOI :
10.1109/IEDM.2000.904429
