Dynamic bias temperature instability-like behaviors under Fowler-Nordheim program/erase stress in nanoscale silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon memories

Bias temperature-dependent characteristics of nanoscale silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon memories are investigated under program/erase (P/E) Fowler-Nordheim (FN) stresses. In the erased cell, FN stress time evolution is found to be a similar physical process to the recovery of interface traps (N-IT) that takes place under the dynamic negative bias temperature instability stress. In addition, anode hole injection induced holes are trapped in the bottom oxide, both in the erase and in the read conditions of the erased cell, and make significant roles in the reverse hysteresis and higher power-law exponent n at higher temperature in P/E cycled erased cells. While the temperature-independent n=0.3 is observed in the programed cell, the temperature-sensitive n=0.36-0.66 is observed in the erased cell. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.