Title :
Tunnel Oxide Growth on Silicon With “Wet Nitrous Oxide” Process for Improved Performance Characteristics
Author :
Babu, Naseer ; Bhat, K.N.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Chennai
Abstract :
In this letter, the authors present the process, growth kinetics, and electrical characteristics of tunnel oxides grown by furnace oxidation of silicon at 800 degC in an ambient of nitrous oxide (N2O) and water vapor. Tunnel oxides of thickness 82-92 Aring are grown by this "wet N2O oxidation" process, and the electrical characteristics such as the capacitance-voltage, current-voltage, voltage ramp, time-dependent dielectric breakdown, and charge to breakdown are evaluated using MOS capacitor as the diagnostic device. The results obtained clearly demonstrate superior performance characteristics of this oxide for Flash memory applications, with excellent charge to breakdown and minimum change in the gate voltage during constant current stressing
Keywords :
MOS capacitors; flash memories; leakage currents; nitridation; oxidation; semiconductor device breakdown; surface treatment; 800 C; MOS capacitor; capacitance-voltage characteristics; current stressing; current-voltage characteristics; electrical characteristics; flash memory; growth kinetics; leakage currents; silicon furnace oxidation; time-dependent dielectric breakdown; tunnel oxide growth; tunnel oxide nitridation; voltage ramp; water vapor; wet nitrous oxide; wet oxidation; wet thermal oxidation; Breakdown voltage; Capacitance-voltage characteristics; Dielectric breakdown; Electric variables; Furnaces; Kinetic theory; MOS capacitors; Oxidation; Silicon; Water; Dielectric breakdown; leakage currents; time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB); tunnel oxide nitridation; wet thermal oxidation;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LED.2006.884715
