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Multilevel memory and synaptic characteristics of a-IGZO thin-film transistor with atomic layer–deposited Al2O3/ZnO/Al2O3 stack layers

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Abstract

A multilevel nonvolatile memory based on an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistor is successfully demonstrated by using an atomic layer–deposited ZnO film as a charge trapping layer. The memory device shows a much higher erasing efficiency at a negative bias, i.e., after erasing at −13 V for 1 µs, the threshold voltage shift is as large as −7.4 V. In the case of 13 V/1 µs programming (P) and −12 V/1 µs erasing (E), the device demonstrates an ON/OFF readout drain current (IDS) ratio of ∼103 after 105 s, and a large and stable ON/OFF IDS ratio of ∼106 till 104 of P/E cycles. Furthermore, multilevel memory characteristics are also demonstrated on the device, showing an IDS ratio of >102 for 4 different states. Additionally, the device also successfully demonstrates typical synaptic behaviors, such as excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic current with different memory times at different memory states.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61874029), and in part by the National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2015ZX02102-003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Dan-Dan Liu, Junxiang Pei, Lingkai Li, Jingyong Huo, Xiaohan Wu, Wen-Jun Liu & Shi-Jin Ding

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  1. Dan-Dan Liu
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  2. Junxiang Pei
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  3. Lingkai Li
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Correspondence to Shi-Jin Ding.

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Liu, DD., Pei, J., Li, L. et al. Multilevel memory and synaptic characteristics of a-IGZO thin-film transistor with atomic layer–deposited Al2O3/ZnO/Al2O3 stack layers. Journal of Materials Research 35, 732–737 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2019.355

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