Retention reliability enhanced SONOS NVSM with scaled programming voltage

Author

Bu, Jiankang ; White, Marvin H.

Author_Institution

Embedded Memory Center, Motorola Inc., Austin, TX, USA

Volume

5

fYear

2002

fDate

2002

Firstpage

176534

Abstract

We describe progress in the design and scaling of SONOS nonvolatile memory devices. The deterioration of the Si-SiO₂ interface is associated with the degradation of long term retention in SONOS nonvolatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) devices. Two-step, high temperature deuterium anneals improves the endurance characteristics and retention reliability over traditional hydrogen anneals. We have realized -9 V +10 V (1ms) programmable SONOS devices ensuring 10 years retention time after 10⁷ erase/write cycles at 85°C. We introduce scaling considerations and process optimization along with experiments and SONOS device characterization. An FPGA-based measurement system is described for the dynamic characterization of SONOS nonvolatile memory devices.

Keywords

CMOS memory circuits; EPROM; annealing; circuit optimisation; deuterium; field programmable gate arrays; integrated circuit design; integrated circuit measurement; integrated circuit reliability; integrated memory circuits; measurement systems; random-access storage; -9 V; 1 ms; 10 V; 10 year; 85 C; CMOS technology; EEPROM; FPGA-based measurement systems; H₂; NVSM devices; SONOS device dynamic characterization; SONOS retention reliability enhanced nonvolatile semiconductor memory; Si-SiO₂; Si-SiO₂ interface deterioration; device operating temperature; device retention time; device scaling considerations; electrically erasable programmable read-only memories; endurance characteristics improvement; erase/write cycles; floating trap SONOS devices; hydrogen annealing; long term retention degradation; process optimization; scaled programming voltage; two-step high temperature deuterium annealing; Annealing; CMOS technology; Degradation; EPROM; Electron traps; Field programmable gate arrays; Low voltage; Nonvolatile memory; SONOS devices; Semiconductor memory;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Aerospace Conference Proceedings, 2002. IEEE

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7231-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/AERO.2002.1035411

Filename

1035411