PROJECT TITLE :

Improved Charge-Trapping Characteristics of ZrO2 by Al Doping for Nonvolatile Memory Applications

ABSTRACT:

The results of Al doping on the charge-trapping characteristics of ZrO2 are investigated based mostly on Al/Al2O3/Al-doped ZrO2/SiO2/Si structure. XRD and XPS show that the crystallization of ZrO2 and also the formation of silicate interlayer at the ZrO2/SiO2 interface are effectively suppressed by Al incorporation, so resulting in better electrical performance with larger memory window and higher retention for the memory device with Al-doped ZrO2 because the charge-trapping layer (CTL) than the one with pure ZrO2. But, excessive Al doping in ZrO2 severely reduces the dielectric constant and electron traps of the CTL, thus resulting in a lot of lower program speed for the device.