Nano-Floating Gate Memory Devices with Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles in Polyimide Dielectrics

We fabricated nano-particles of ZnO, $In_2O_3$ and $SnO_2$ by using the chemical reaction between metal thin films and polyamic acid. The average size and density of these ZnO, $In_2O_3$ and $SnO_2$ nano-particles was approximately 10, 7, and 15 nm, and $2{\times}10^{11},\;6{\times}10^{11},\;2.4{\times}10^{11}cm^{-2}$, respectively. Then, we fabricated nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) devices with ZnO and $In_2O_3$ nano-particles embedded in the devices' polyimide dielectrics and silicon dioxide layers as control and tunnel oxides, respectively. We measured the current-voltage characteristics, endurance properties and retention times of the memory devices using a semiconductor parameter analyzer. In the $In_2O_3$ NFGM, the threshold voltage shift (${\Delta}V_T$) was approximately 5 V at the initial state of programming and erasing operations. However, the memory window rapidly decreased after 1000 s from 5 to 1.5 V. The ${\Delta}V_T$ of the NFGM containing ZnO was approximately 2 V at the initial state, but the memory window decreased after 1000 s from 2 to 0.4 V. These results mean that metal-oxide nano-particles have feasibility to apply NFGM devices.