通过隧穿过程工程实现非易失性存储器件的低功耗

Abstract Compared with Si 3 N 4 and Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 grown using thermal oxidation process as tunneling layer has the advantages of high bandgap and well interface contact with the surface of silicon wafer, which can be a great solution to the leakage current problem of metal–insulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices. This study investigates the effect of improving the SiO 2 tunnel layer on the operating voltage of MIS devices with a SiO 2 /HfAlO x /Al 2 O 3 structure. The result shows the operating voltage changes as the tunneling layer thickness decreases, with a minimum of only 12 V for a 1.5 nm tunneling layer thickness. In addition, we found that pinholes are generated on the film surface when annealing a 1.5 nm SiO 2 tunnel layer at 850 °C N 2 , in which case the operating voltage of the device is reduced to only 10 V, though it was also accompanied by the deterioration of the retention characteristics.