Charge trapping characteristics of Au nanocrystals embedded in remote plasma atomic layer-deposited Al2O3 film as the tunnel and blocking oxides for nonvolatile memory applications

Abstract

Remote plasma atomic layer deposited (RPALD) Al2O3 films were investigated to apply as tunnel and blocking layers in the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor memory utilizing Au nanocrystals (NCs) for nonvolatile memory applications. The interface stability of an Al2O3 film deposited by RPALD was studied to observe the effects of remote plasma on the interface. The interface formed during RPALD process has high oxidation states such as Si+3 and Si+4, indicating that RPALD process can grow more stable interface which has a small amount of fixed oxide trap charge. The significant memory characteristics were also observed in this memory device through the electrical measurement. The memory device exhibited a relatively large memory window of 5.6 V under a 10/-10 V program/erase voltage and also showed the relatively fast programming/erasing speed and a competitive retention characteristic after 10(4) s. These results indicate that Al2O3 films deposited via RPALD can be applied as the tunnel and blocking oxides for next-generation flash memory devices. (C) 2012 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3639131]