Effects of forming gas annealing on the memory characteristics of Ge nanocrystals embedded in LaAlO3high-k dielectrics for flash memory device application

X. B. Lu; P. F. Lee; J. Y. Dai

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2006.02.015

Effects of forming gas annealing on the memory characteristics of Ge nanocrystals embedded in LaAlO₃high-k dielectrics for flash memory device application

X. B. Lu, P. F. Lee, J. Y. Dai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Research output: Journal article publication › Journal article › Academic research › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Forming gas (FG) annealing effects of a nonvolatile flash memory structure using Ge nanocrystals (NCs) floating gate embedded in LaAlO3high-k tunneling/control oxide were studied. Atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed that the pulsed-laser deposited Ge NCs were well self-organized and the average diameter of the sphere-like NCs was around 6 nm. By using a double sweep capacitance-voltage measurement, memory windows of 1.4 and 1.0 V were obtained for the as-deposited and FG annealed samples, respectively. The charge loss rate of the FG annealed sample was lower than that of the as-deposited sample, and this could be explained by the decrease of defects in the dielectrics and Ge NCs as well as their interfacial states that may have acted as charge leak channels.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	182-186
Number of pages	5
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	513
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2006.02.015
Publication status	Published - 14 Aug 2006

Keywords

Annealing
Floating gate memory
Germanium
High-k dielectric
Lanthanide aluminium oxide
Nanocrystals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Surfaces and Interfaces
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Metals and Alloys
Materials Chemistry

More information

10.1016/j.tsf.2006.02.015

Cite this

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title = "Effects of forming gas annealing on the memory characteristics of Ge nanocrystals embedded in LaAlO3high-k dielectrics for flash memory device application",

abstract = "Forming gas (FG) annealing effects of a nonvolatile flash memory structure using Ge nanocrystals (NCs) floating gate embedded in LaAlO3high-k tunneling/control oxide were studied. Atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed that the pulsed-laser deposited Ge NCs were well self-organized and the average diameter of the sphere-like NCs was around 6 nm. By using a double sweep capacitance-voltage measurement, memory windows of 1.4 and 1.0 V were obtained for the as-deposited and FG annealed samples, respectively. The charge loss rate of the FG annealed sample was lower than that of the as-deposited sample, and this could be explained by the decrease of defects in the dielectrics and Ge NCs as well as their interfacial states that may have acted as charge leak channels.",

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AU - Lee, P. F.

AU - Dai, J. Y.

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