• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.466-468
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• 2009

The metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors with $SiO_2$ and high-k dielectrics ($HfO_2$, $Al_2O_3$) were fabricated, and the current-voltage characteristics were investigated. Especially, an effective barrier height between metal gate and dielectric was extracted by using Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot and Direct Tunneling (DT) plot of quantum mechanical(QM) modeling. The calculated barrier heights of thermal $SiO_2$, ALD $SiO_2$, $HfO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$ are 3.35 eV, 0.6 eV, 1.75 eV, and 2.65 eV, respectively. Therefore, the performance of non-volatile memory devices can be improved by using engineered tunnel barrier which is considered effective barrier height of high-k materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.240-240
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• 2010

A multiple alloy metal nano-dots memory using FN tunneling was investigated in order to confirm its structural possibility for future flash memory. In this work, a multiple FePt nano-dots device with a high work function (~5.2 eV) and extremely high dot density (${\sim}\;1.2{\times}10^{13}/cm^2$) was fabricated. Its structural effect for multiple layers was evaluated and compared to one with a single layer in terms of the cell characteristics and reliability. We confirm that MOS capacitor structures with 2-4 multiple FePt nano-dot layers provide a larger threshold voltage window and better retention characteristics. Furthermore, it was also revealed that several process parameters for block oxide and inter-tunnel oxide between the nano-dot layers are very important to improve the efficiency of electron injection into multiple nano-dots. From these results, it is expected that a multiple FePt nano-dots memory using Fowler-Nordheim (FN)-tunneling could be a candidate structure for future flash memory.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.273-273
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• 2011

현재 사용되고 있는 플로팅 게이트를 이용한 플래시 메모리 소자는 비례축소에 의해 발생하는 단 채널 효과, 펀치스루 효과 및 소자간 커플링 현상과 같은 문제로 소자의 크기를 줄이는데 한계가 있다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위하여 silicon nitride와 같은 절연체를 전자의 트랩층으로 사용하는 charge trap flash (CTF) 메모리 소자에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. CTF 메모리 소자의 전기적 특성에 대한 연구는 활발히 진행 되었지만, 수치 해석 모델을 사용하여 메모리 소자의 전하수송 메커니즘을 분석한 연구는 매우 적다. 본 연구에서는 수치 해석 모델을 적용하여 개발한 시뮬레이터를 사용하여 CTF 메모리 소자의 프로그램 동작 시 전하수송 메커니즘에 대한 연구를 하였다. 시뮬레이터에 사용된 모델은 연속방정식, 포아송 방정식과 Shockley-Read-Hall 재결합 모델을 수치해석적 방법으로 계산하였다. 또한 CTF 소자 프로그램 동작 시 트랩 층으로 주입되는 전자의 양은 Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin 근사 법을 이용하여 계산하였다. 트랩 층에 트랩 되었던 전자의 방출 모델은 이온화 과정을 사용하였다. 게이트와 트랩 층 사이의 터널링은 Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling 모델, Direct tunneling 모델, Modified FN tunneling 모델을 적용하였다. FN tunneling 만을 적용했을때 보다 세가지 모델을 적용했을 때가 더 실험치와의 오차가 적었다. 그 이유는 시뮬레이션 결과를 통해 인가된 전계에 의해 Bottom Oxide 층의 에너지 밴드 구조가 변화하여 세가지 tunneling 모델의 구역이 발생하는 것을 확인 할 수 있었다. 계산된 결과의 전류-전압 곡선을 통해 CTF 메모리 소자의 프로그램 동작 특성을 관찰하였다. 트랩 층의 전도대역과 트랩 층 내부에 분포하는 전자의 양을 시간에 따라 계산하여 트랩 밀도가 시간이 지남에 따라 일정 값에 수렴하고 많은 전하가 트랩 될 수록 전하 주입이 줄어듬을 관찰 하였다. 이와 같은 시뮬레이션 결과를 통해 CTF 메모리의 트랩층에서 전하의 이동에 대해 더 많이 이해하여 CTF 소자가 가진 문제점 해결에 도움을 줄 것이다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
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• v.36D no.11
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• pp.56-62
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• 1999

All the cells on the whole memory array or a block of the memory array in the Flash EEPROM's are erased at the same time using Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling. some of the cels are often overerased since the tunneling is not a self-limited process. In this paper, the optimum doping concentration of the floating gate solve the overerase problem has been studied. For these studies, N-type MOSFETs and MOS capacitors with various doping concentrations of the gate polysilicon have been fabricated and their electrical characteristics have been measured and analyzed. As the results of the experiment, it has been found that the overerase problem can be prevented if the doping concentration of the floating gate is low enough (i.e. below $1.3{\times}10^{18}/cm^3$). It is because the potential difference between the floating gate and the source is lowered due to the formation of the depletion layer in the floating gate and thus the erasing operation stops by itself after most of the electrons stored in the floating gate are extracted. On the other hand, the uniformity of the Vt and the gm has been significantly poor if the coping concentration of the floating, gate is too much lowered (i.e. below $1.3{\times}10^{17}/cm^3$), which is believed to be due to nonuniform loss of the dopants from the nonuniform segregation in the floating gate. Consequently, the optimum doping concentration of the floating gate to suppress the overerase problem and get the uniform Vt and has been found to range from $1.3{\times}10^{17}/cm^3$ to $1.3{\times}10^{18}/cm^3$ in the Flash EEPROM.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.914-920
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• 2000

When the charge-trap type SONOS(polysilicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor) cells are used to flash memory, the tunneling program/erase condition to minimize the generation of interface traps was investigated. SONOSFET NVSM(Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory) cells were fabricated using 0.35 ㎛ standard memory cell embedded logic process including the ONO cell process, based on retrograde twin-well, single-poly, single metal CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) process. The thickness of ONO triple-dielectric for the memory cell is tunnel oxide of 24 $\AA$, nitride of 74 $\AA$, blocking oxide of 25 $\AA$, respectively. The program mode(V$\_$g/=7, 8, 9 V, V$\_$s/=V$\_$d/=-3 V, V$\_$b/=floating) and the erase mode(V$\_$g/=-4, -5, -6 V, V$\_$s/=V$\_$d/=floating, V$\_$b/=3 V) by MFN(Modified Fowler-Nordheim) tunneling were used. The proposed programming condition for the flash memory of SONOSFET NVSM cells showed less degradation(ΔV$\_$th/, S, G$\_$m/) characteristics than channel MFN tunneling operation. Also, the program inhibit conditins of unselected cell for separated source lines NOR-type flash memory application were investigated. we demonstrated that the phenomenon of the program disturb did not occur at source/drain voltage of 1 V∼12 V and gate voltage of -8 V∼4 V.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.129-130
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• 2009

The P/E characteristics of $HfO_2$ CTF memory capacitor with $SiO_2/HfO_2/Al_2O_3$(OHA) engineered tunnel barrier were investigated. After a growth of thermal oxide with a thickness of 2 nm, 1 nm $HfO_2$ and 3 $Al_2O_3$ layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. The band offset was calculated by analysis of conduction mechanisms through Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot and Direct Tunneling (DT) plot. Moreover the PIE characteristics of $HfO_2$ CTF memory capacitor with OHA tunnel barrier was presented.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.145-150
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• 1998

8$\times$8 bit scaled SONOSFET NAND type flash EEPROM that shows better characteristics on cell density and endurance than NOR type have been designed and its electrical characteristics are verified with computer aided simulation. For the simulation, the spice model parameter was extracted from the sealed down SONOSFET that was fabricated by $1.5mutextrm{m}$ topological design rule. To improve the endurance of the device, the EEPROM design to have modified Fowler-Nordheim tunneling through the whole channel area in Write/Erase operation. As a result, it operates Write/Erase operation at low current, and has been proven Its good endurance. The NAND type flash EEPROM, which has upper limit of V$_{th}$, has the upper limit of V$_{th}$ as 4.5V. It is better than that of floating gate as 4V. And a EEPROM using the SONOSFET without scaling (65$\AA$-l65$\AA$-35$\AA$), was also designed and its characteristics have been compared. It has more possibliity of error from the V$_{th}$ upper limit as 4V, and takes more time for Read operation due to low current. As a consequence, it is proven that scaled down SONOSFET is more pertinent than existing floating gate or SONOSFET without scaling for the NAND type flash EEPROM.EPROM.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.54-57
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• 2002

In this study, a new programming method, to minimize the generation of Si-SiO$_2$ interface traps of scaled SONOS flash memory as a function of number of program/erase cycles has been proposed. In the proposed programming method, power supply voltage is applied to the gate, forward biased program voltage is applied to the source and the drain, while the substrate is left open, so that the program is achieved by Modified Fowler-Nordheim (MFN) tunneling of electron through the tunnel oxide over source and drain region. For the channel erase, erase voltage is applied to the gate, power supply voltage is applied to the substrate, and the source and drain are open. A single power supply operation of 3 V and a high endurance of 1${\times}$10$\^$6/ prograss/erase cycles can be realized by the proposed programming method. The asymmetric mode in which the program voltage is higher than the erase voltage, is more efficient than symmetric mode in order to minimize the degradation characteristics of scaled SONOS devices because electrical stress applied to the Si-SiO$_2$ interface is reduced by short programming time.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.699-705
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• 2008

Capacitance versus voltage (C-V) characteristics of Ge-nanocrystal (NC)-embedded metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with $HfO_2$ gate material were investigated in this work. The current versus voltage (I-V) curves obtained from Ge-NC-embedded MOS capacitors fabricated with the $NH_3$ annealed $HfO_2$ gate material reveal the reduction of leakage current, compared with those of MOS capacitors fabricated with the $O_2$ annealed $HfO_2$ gate material. The C-V curves of the Ge-NC-embedded MOS capacitor with $HfO_2$ gate material annealed in $NH_3$ ambient exhibit counterclockwise hysteresis loop of about 3.45 V memory window when bias voltage was varied from -10 to + 10 V. The observed hysteresis loop indicates the presence of charge storages in the Ge NCs caused by the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling. In addition, capacitance versus time characteristics of Ge-NC-embedded MOS capacitors with $HfO_2$ gate material were analyzed to investigate their retention property.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.262-263
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• 2008

The Metal-Insulator-Silicon (MIS) capacitors with $SiO_2$ and high-k dielectric were investigated. The high-k dielectrics were obtained by atomic layer deposit (ALD) system. The electrical characteristics were investigated by measuring the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. The conduction mechanisms were analyzed by using the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot and Direct Tunneling (DT) plot. As a result, the MIS capacitors with high-k dielectrics have lower leakage current densities than conventional tunnel-barrier with $SiO_2$ dielectrics.