Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell

Basic mechanisms governing the generation and injection of hot electrons in the N-channel MOSFET are of fundamental importance to non-volatile memory application and reliability. In this thesis, we have reported direct observation of a non-classical hot-electron gate current in the scaled MOSFET mem...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Zhang, Yu
Other Authors: Tan Kok Tong
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/13192
_version_ 1811685496023154688
author Zhang, Yu
author2 Tan Kok Tong
author_facet Tan Kok Tong
Zhang, Yu
author_sort Zhang, Yu
collection NTU
description Basic mechanisms governing the generation and injection of hot electrons in the N-channel MOSFET are of fundamental importance to non-volatile memory application and reliability. In this thesis, we have reported direct observation of a non-classical hot-electron gate current in the scaled MOSFET memory cell, under the conventional CHE biasing regime (i.e. Vgs ~ Vds) at reduced voltage condition. Through a systematic experimental study, it has been shown clearly that this non-classical tertiary-electron injection current is induced by a sub-surface lateral impact-ionization feedback mechanism, which is particularly prominent in devices with a steep vertical channel profile. The inherent non-local nature of this tertiary-electron injection will lead to a substantial spread of hot-electron induced oxide and interface damage into the channel region even at a reduced Vds. This will set a stringent limit for memory cell scaling due to the suppressed scalability of the oxide damage region. Last but not least, lifetime projection from accelerated stress condition (where conventional CHE effect dominates) may grossly overestimate the parametric lifetime concerned if one neglects the dominance of non-classical tertiary-electron injection at low field regime.
first_indexed 2024-10-01T04:45:26Z
format Thesis
id ntu-10356/13192
institution Nanyang Technological University
language English
last_indexed 2024-10-01T04:45:26Z
publishDate 2008
record_format dspace
spelling ntu-10356/131922023-07-04T17:24:44Z Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell Zhang, Yu Tan Kok Tong Ang Diing Shenp School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Electronic circuits Basic mechanisms governing the generation and injection of hot electrons in the N-channel MOSFET are of fundamental importance to non-volatile memory application and reliability. In this thesis, we have reported direct observation of a non-classical hot-electron gate current in the scaled MOSFET memory cell, under the conventional CHE biasing regime (i.e. Vgs ~ Vds) at reduced voltage condition. Through a systematic experimental study, it has been shown clearly that this non-classical tertiary-electron injection current is induced by a sub-surface lateral impact-ionization feedback mechanism, which is particularly prominent in devices with a steep vertical channel profile. The inherent non-local nature of this tertiary-electron injection will lead to a substantial spread of hot-electron induced oxide and interface damage into the channel region even at a reduced Vds. This will set a stringent limit for memory cell scaling due to the suppressed scalability of the oxide damage region. Last but not least, lifetime projection from accelerated stress condition (where conventional CHE effect dominates) may grossly overestimate the parametric lifetime concerned if one neglects the dominance of non-classical tertiary-electron injection at low field regime. MASTER OF ENGINEERING (EEE) 2008-08-05T03:29:24Z 2008-10-20T07:18:14Z 2008-08-05T03:29:24Z 2008-10-20T07:18:14Z 2008 2008 Thesis Zhang, Y. (2008). Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell. Master’s thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/13192 10.32657/10356/13192 en 155 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Electronic circuits
Zhang, Yu
Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title_full Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title_fullStr Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title_full_unstemmed Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title_short Impact of channel engineering on hot-electron injection in the deep-submicrometer flash memory cell
title_sort impact of channel engineering on hot electron injection in the deep submicrometer flash memory cell
topic DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Electronic circuits
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/13192
work_keys_str_mv AT zhangyu impactofchannelengineeringonhotelectroninjectioninthedeepsubmicrometerflashmemorycell