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Improved characteristics for MOHOS memory with oxygen-rich GdO as charge storage layer annealed by NH3

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Abstract

Characteristics of metal–oxide–high-k–oxide–silicon (MOHOS) memories with oxygen-rich or oxygen-deficient GdO as charge storage layer annealed by NH3 or N2 are investigated. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to analyze the cross-sectional quality, composition and crystallinity, respectively, of the stacked gate dielectric with a structure of Al/Al2O3/GdO/SiO2/Si. The MOHOS capacitor with oxygen-rich GdO annealed in NH3 exhibits a good trade-off among its memory properties: large memory window (4.8 V at ±12 V, 1 s), high programming speed (2.6 V at ±12 V/100 μs), good endurance and retention properties (window degradation of 5 % after 105 program/erase cycles and charge loss of 18.6 % at 85 °C after 10 years, respectively) due to passivation of oxygen vacancies, generation of deep-level traps in the grain boundaries of the GdO layer and suppression of the interlayer between GdO and SiO2 by the NH3 annealing.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60976091), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2013QN037) and the University Development Fund (Nanotechnology Research Institute, 00600009) of the University of Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China

    Lu Liu, J. P. Xu & J. X. Chen

  2. Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

    P. T. Lai

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  1. Lu Liu
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  2. J. P. Xu
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  3. J. X. Chen
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Correspondence to J. P. Xu.

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Liu, L., Xu, J.P., Chen, J.X. et al. Improved characteristics for MOHOS memory with oxygen-rich GdO as charge storage layer annealed by NH3 . Appl. Phys. A 115, 1317–1321 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7990-y

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