Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering (한국정보통신학회논문지)

The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation Engineering (한국정보통신학회)
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A Study on SONOS Non-volatile Semiconductor Memory Devices for a Low Voltage Flash Memory

저전압 플래시메모리를 위한 SONOS 비휘발성 반도체기억소자에 관한 연구

  • 김병철 (진주산업대학교 전자공학과) ;
  • 탁한호 (진주산업대학교 전자공학과)
  • Published : 2003.04.01
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Abstract

Polysilicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon(SONOS) transistors were fabricated by using 0.35${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS) process technology to realize a low voltage programmable flash memory. The thickness of the tunnel oxide, the nitride, and the blocking oxide were 2.4nm, 4.0nm, and 2.5nm, respectively, and the cell area of the SONOS memory was 1.32$\mu$$m^2$. The SONOS device revealed a maximum memory window of 1.76V with a switching time of 50ms at 10V programming, as a result of the scaling effect of the nitride. In spite of scaling of nitride thickness, memory window of 0.5V was maintained at the end of 10 years, and the endurance level was at least 105 program/erase cycles. Over-erase, which was shown seriously in floating gate device, was not shown in SONOS device.

저전압 프로그래밍이 가능한 플래시메모리를 실현하기 위하여 0.35$\mu\textrm{m}$ CMOS 공정 기술을 이용하여 터널링산화막, 질화막 그리고 블로킹산화막의 두께가 각각 2.4nm, 4.0nm, 2.5nm인 SONOS 트랜지스터를 제작하였으며, SONOS 메모리 셀의 면적은 1.32$\mu$$m^2$이었다. 질화막의 두께를 스케일링한 결과, 10V의 동작 전압에서 소거상태로부터 프로그램상태로, 반대로 프로그램상태에서 소거상태로 스위칭 하는데 50ms의 시간이 필요하였으며, 최대 메모리윈도우는 1.76V이었다. 그리고 질화막의 두께를 스케일링함에도 불구하고 10년 후에도 0.5V의 메모리 윈도우를 유지하였으며, 105회 이상의 프로그램/소거 반복동작이 가능함을 확인하였다. 마지막으로 부유게이트 소자에서 심각하게 발생하고있는 과도소거현상이 SONOS 소자에서는 나타나지 않았다.

Keywords

References

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