Published June 1, 2018 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

Improved performance of Au nanocrystal nonvolatile memory by N2-plasma treatment on HfO2 blocking layer

Creators

  • 1. Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Devices, School of Opto-electronic and Communiction Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024 (China)
  • 2. Xiamen Institute of Technology, Xiamen 361024 (China)
  • 3. Department of Physics, Semiconductor Photonics Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China)

Description

The N2-plasma treatment on a HfO2 blocking layer of Au nanocrystal nonvolatile memory without any post annealing is investigated. The electrical characteristics of the MOS capacitor with structure of Al–TaN/HfO2/SiO2/p-Si are also characterized. After N2-plasma treatment, the nitrogen atoms are incorporated into HfO2 film and may passivate the oxygen vacancy states. The surface roughness of HfO2 film can also be reduced. Those improvements of HfO2 film lead to a smaller hysteresis and lower leakage current density of the MOS capacitor. The N2-plasma is introduced into Au nanocrystal (NC) nonvolatile memory to treat the HfO2 blocking layer. For the N2-plasma treated device, it shows a better retention characteristic and is twice as large in the memory window than that for the no N2-plasma treated device. It can be concluded that the N2-plasma treatment method can be applied to future nonvolatile memory applications. (paper)

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1674-1056/27/6/067303

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/1674-1056/27/6/067303;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Chinese Physics. B
Journal Volume
27
Journal Issue
6
Journal Page Range
[5 p.]
ISSN
1674-1056

INIS

Country of Publication
China
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
52036400
Subject category
S77: NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY;
Descriptors DEI
ALUMINIUM; CAPACITORS; CURRENT DENSITY; DEPLETION LAYER; FILMS; GOLD; HAFNIUM OXIDES; HYSTERESIS; LEAKAGE CURRENT; MEMORY DEVICES; NANOSTRUCTURES; P-TYPE CONDUCTORS; SILICON; TANTALUM NITRIDES; VACANCIES
Descriptors DEC
CHALCOGENIDES; CRYSTAL DEFECTS; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; CURRENTS; ELECTRIC CURRENTS; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; ELEMENTS; EQUIPMENT; HAFNIUM COMPOUNDS; LAYERS; MATERIALS; METALS; NITRIDES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PNICTIDES; POINT DEFECTS; REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS; SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS; SEMIMETALS; TANTALUM COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENTS