The charge storage characteristics of ZrO2 nanocrystallite-based charge trap nonvolatile memory

ZrO2 nanocrystallite-based charge trap flash memory capacitors incorporating a(ZrO2)0.6(SiO2)0.4 pseudobinary high-k oxide film as the charge trapping layer were prepared and investigated.The precipitation reaction in the charge trapping layer,forming ZrO2 nanocrystallites during rapid thermal annealing,was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.It was observed that a ZrO2 nanocrystallite-based memory capacitor after post-annealing at 850℃ for 60s exhibits a maximum memory window of about 6.8V,good endurance and a low charge loss of ～25% over a period of 10 years(determined by extrapolating the charge loss curve measured experimentally),even at 85℃.Such 850℃-annealed memory capacitors appear to be candidates for future nonvolatile flash memory device applications.     

退火工艺对LaTiON和HfLaON存储层金属-氧化物-氮化物-氧化物-硅存储器特性的影响

采用反应溅射法, 分别制备以LaTiON, HfLaON为存储层的 金属-氧化物-氮化物-氧化物-硅 电容存储器, 研究了淀积后退火气氛(N₂, NH₃)对其存储性能的影响. 分析测试表明, 退火前LaTiON样品比HfLaON 样品具有更好的电荷保持特性, 但后者具有更大的存储窗口 (编程/擦除电压为+/-12 V时4.8 V); 对于退火样品, 由于NH₃的氮化作用, NH₃退火样品比N₂退火样品表现出更快的编程/擦除速度、更好的电荷保持特性和疲劳特性. 当编程/擦除电压为+/-12 V时, NH₃退火HfLaON样品的存储窗口为3.8 V, 且比NH₃退火LaTiON样品具有更好的电荷保持特性和疲劳特性.     

Improvement of memory characteristics by employing a charge trapping layer with combining bent and flat energy bands

Designed ZrxSi1-xO2 films with combining bent and flat energy bands are employed as a charge trapping layer for memory capacitors.Compared to a single bent energy band,the bandgap structure with combining bent and flat energy bands exhibits larger memory window,faster program/erase speed,lower charge loss even at 200℃ for 104s,and wider temperature insensitive regions.The tunneling thickness together with electron recaptured efficiency in the trapping layer,and the balance of two competing electron loss mechanisms in the bent and flat energy band regions collectively contribute to the improved memory characteristics.Therefore,the proposed ZrxSi1-xO2 with combining bent and flat energy bands should be a promising candidate for future nonvolatile memory applications,taking into consideration of the trade-off between the operation speed and retention characteristics.     

Organic field-effect transistor floating-gate memory using polysilicon as charge trapping layer

In this study, we present an organic field-effect transistor floating-gate memory using polysilicon(poly-Si) as a charge trapping layer. The memory device is fabricated on a N~+–Si/SiO_2 substrate. Poly-Si, polymethylmethacrylate, and pentacene are used as a floating-gate layer, tunneling layer, and active layer, respectively. The device shows bidirectional storage characteristics under the action of programming/erasing(P/E) operation due to the supplied electrons and holes in the channel and the bidirectional charge trapping characteristic of the poly-Si floating-gate. The carrier mobility and switching current ratio(Ion/Ioff ratio) of the device with a tunneling layer thickness of 85 nm are 0.01 cm~2·V~(-1)·s~(-1) and 102, respectively. A large memory window of 9.28 V can be obtained under a P/E voltage of ±60 V.     

Improved charge trapping flash device with Al2O3/HfSiO stack as blocking layer

In this paper, we investigate an Al₂O₃/HfSiO stack as the blocking layer of a metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon-type (MONOS) memory capacitor. Compared with a memory capacitor with a single HfSiO layer as the blocking layer or an Al₂O₃/HfO₂ stack as the blocking layer, the sample with the Al₂O₃/HfSiO stack as the blocking layer shows high program/erase (P/E) speed and good data retention characteristics. These improved performances can be explained by energy band engineering. The experimental results demonstrate that the memory device with an Al₂O₃/HfSiO stack as the blocking layer has great potential for further high-performance nonvolatile memory applications.     

Enhanced power efficiency for white OLED with MoO3 as hole injection layer and optimized charge balance

White OLEDs with a different hole injection layer (MoO₃ or m-MTDATA), and a different electron transport layer (Alq₃ or Bphen) have been investigated. With 9,10-bis (2-naphthyl)-2-t-butylanthracene (TBADN) doped with 3% P-bis (P-N, N-diphenyl-aminostyryl) benzene (DSA-ph) and 0.05% 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7,-tetramethyl-julolidy-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB) as white emitting layer, the MoO₃/ /Bphen based device shows the lowest driving voltage and highest power efficiency among the referenced devices. At the current density of 20 mA/cm², its driving voltage and power efficiency are 5.43 V and 4.54 lm/W respectively, which is independently reduced 40% and improved 57% compared with those of the m-MTDATA/ / Alq₃ based one, respectively. The energy level diagram of the devices and single-carrier devices are studied to explain the reasons for the improvement. The results strongly indicate that carrier injection ability and balance shows a key significance in OLED performance.     

Performance improvement of charge trap flash memory by using a composition-modulated high-k trapping layer

A composition-modulated （HfO2）x（Al2O3）1-x charge trapping layer is proposed for charge trap flash memory by controlling the A1 atom content to form a peak and valley shaped band gap. It is found that the memory device using the composition-modulated （HfO2）x（Al2O3）l-x as the charge trapping layer exhibits a larger memory window of 11.5 V, improves data retention even at high temperature, and enhances the program/erase speed. Improvements of the memory characteristics are attributed to the special band-gap structure resulting from the composition-modulated trapping layer. Therefore, the composition-modulated charge trapping layer may be useful in future nonvolatile flash memory device application.     

界面极化注极聚丙烯薄膜驻极体的电荷存储特性研究

本文报道一种基于双层介质界面极化机理的新型驻极体注极技术: 借助辅助层对PP薄膜进行注极. 采用表面电位测试方法考察了注极温度、注极电压对所获PP薄膜驻极体电荷存储性能的影响, 并利用热刺激放电技术研究了其高温电荷存储性能, 同时测试了PP薄膜驻极体在X和Y方向的静电场分布. 结果表明: 界面极化注极是一种比电晕注极更为优异的驻极体形成方法. 在一定温度下, 驻极体表面电位随注极电压的增加而增加, 而且两者呈线性关系, 这一结果与注极过程的电荷积聚方程的分析完全一致. 注极温度的影响研究表明, 在保持注极电压不变(注极电压范围为0.5–3.0 kV)的情况下, 温度低于75 ℃时, 温度的变化对于注极效果的影响不明显; 当注极温度大于75 ℃ 时, PP薄膜驻极体的表面电位随注极温度的增加而增加. 表面电位随时间的变化研究表明, PP薄膜驻极体具有良好的电荷存储稳定性. 对其表面电位分布的测试表明, 界面极化注极所形成的PP薄膜驻极体呈现均匀的静电场分布.     

电荷俘获存储器数据保持特性第一性原理研究

本文研究HfO₂掺入Al替位Hf杂质和氧空位共同掺杂对电荷俘获型存储器存储特性的影响. HfO₂作为高介电常数材料由于具有缩小器件尺寸、提高器件性能等优势, 被广泛用于CTM的俘获层. 采用MS和VASP研究了HfO₂俘获层中掺入Al对氧空位形成能的影响. 同时计算了两种缺陷在不同距离下的相互作用能. 计算结果表明在HfO₂中掺入Al使得氧空位的形成能降低, 并且三配位氧空位的形成能比四配位氧空位的形成能降低的更多. 通过研究Al和三配位氧空位两种缺陷间不同距离的三种情况, 计算结果表明当缺陷间距为2.107 Å时, 体系的电荷俘获能最大; 量子态数最多; 布居数最小、Al–O键最长. 通过研究三种体系写入空穴后键长的变化, 得出当缺陷间距为2.107 Å时, 写入空穴后体系的Al–O键长变化最小. 以上研究结果表明, 掺入Al后可以有效提高电荷俘获型存储器的数据保持能力. 因而本文的研究为改善电荷俘获型存储器数据保持特性提供一定的理论指导.     

Channel waveguides in Ca4GdO(BO3)3 fabricated by He+ implantation for blue-light generation

Blue light at 405 nm is generated by frequency doubling of a Ti:sapphire tunable laser in He(+)-implanted channel waveguides in gadolinium calcium oxoborate crystal. A conversion efficiency of approximately 2% W(-1) cm(-2) is achieved between TM00 fundamental and TE01 harmonic modes.     

LaTiON/LaON as band-engineered charge-trapping layer for nonvolatile memory applications

Charge-trapping characteristics of stacked LaTiON/LaON film were investigated based on Al/Al₂O₃/LaTiON-LaON/SiO₂/Si (band-engineered MONOS) capacitors. The physical properties of the high-k films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The band profile of this band-engineered MONOS device was characterized by investigating the current-conduction mechanism. By adopting stacked LaTiON/LaON film instead of LaON film as charge-trapping layer, improved electrical properties can be achieved in terms of larger memory window (5.4 V at ±10-V sweeping voltage), higher program speed with lower operating gate voltage (2.1 V at 100-μs +6 V), and smaller charge loss rate at 125 °C, mainly due to the variable tunneling path of charge carriers under program/erase and retention modes (realized by the band-engineered charge-trapping layer), high trap density of LaTiON, and large barrier height at LaTiON/SiO₂ (2.3 eV).     

Enhanced memory performance by tailoring the microstructural evolution of (ZrO2)0.6(SiO2)0.4 charge trapping layer in the nanocrystallites-based charge trap flash memory cells

ZrO₂ nanocrystallites based charge trap memory cells by incorporating a (ZrO₂)_0.6(SiO₂)_0.4 film as a charge trapping layer and amorphous Al₂O₃ as tunneling and blocking layer were prepared and investigated. The precipitation reaction in charge trapping layer forming ZrO₂ nanocrystallites during rapid thermal annealing was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The density and size of ZrO₂ nanocrystallites are the critical factors for controlling the charge storage characteristics. The ZrO₂ nanocrystallites based memory cells after postannealing at 800 ^°C for 60 s exhibit the best electrical characteristics and a low charge loss ～5 % after 10⁵ write/erase cycles operation.     

Stacked chalcogenide layers used as multi-state storage medium for phase change memory

The multi-state storage capability of phase-change memory (PCM) was confirmed by using stacked chalcogenide layers as storage medium. The stacked films were prepared by stacking a pure Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) layer, a tungsten layer and a silicon-doped GST layer. The electrical properties of the stacked films were also investigated. The results show that there are two negative differential resistance areas in the current-voltage (I–V) curve and three steps with three relatively stable resistance values in the resistance-voltage (R–V) curve, which indicate that the multi-state storage of PCM can be realized by using this stacked film structure. Qualitative analysis reveals that the multi-state storage capability of this stacked film structure is due to the successive crystallizations in a silicon-doped GST layer and a pure GST layer. PACS 64.60.Cn; 71.55.Jv; 85.30.De; 85.30.Fg     

Large grained and high charge carrier lifetime CH3NH3PbI3 thin-films: implications for perovskite solar cells

Spin coated perovskite thin films are known to have an issue of pinholes & poor morphology control which lead to poor device-to-device repeatability, that is an impediment to scale-up. In this work, Methylamine vapor annealing process is demonstrated which consistently leads to high-quality perovskite thin-films with an average grain-size of 10–15 μm. The improvement in film morphology enables improvement in effective carrier recombination lifetime, from 21 μs in as-deposited films to 54 μs in vapor-annealed films. The annealed films with large-grains are also more stable in ambient conditions. Devices made on annealed perovskite films are very consistent, with a standard deviation of only 0.7%. Methylamine vapor annealing process is a promising method of depositing large-grain CH₃NH₃PbI₃ films with high recombination lifetime and the devices with improved performance.     

LaON/SiO2和HfON/SiO2双隧穿层MONOS存储器存储特性的比较

本文对比研究了LaON/SiO₂和HfON/SiO₂双隧穿层MONOS存储器的存储特性. 实验结果表明,LaON/SiO₂双隧穿层MONOS存储器具有较大的存储窗口,快的编程/擦除速度及好的疲劳和保持特性. 其机理在于LaON较大的介电常数有效提高了编程/擦除过程中载流子的注入效率,较小的O 扩散系数减少了界面陷阱,从而减少了保持期间存储电荷通过陷阱辅助隧穿的泄漏. 而且N的结合在界面附近形成了强的La-N,Hf-N 和O-N键,可有效降低编程/擦除循环应力对界面的损伤,使器件具有好的疲劳特性. 此外,研究了退火温度对存储特性的影响,结果表明800 ℃退火样品的存储特性比700 ℃退火的好,这是因为800 ℃时NO退火可在LaON（HfON）中引入更多的N,且能更好释放应力,使介质中缺陷减少. 关键词： MONOS 双隧穿层 LaON HfON     

Improved performance of Au nanocrystal nonvolatile memory by N_2-plasma treatment on HfO_2 blocking layer

The N_2-plasma treatment on a HfO_2 blocking layer of Au nanocrystal nonvolatile memory without any post annealing is investigated. The electrical characteristics of the MOS capacitor with structure of Al–Ta N/HfO_2/Si O2/p-Si are also characterized. After N_2-plasma treatment, the nitrogen atoms are incorporated into HfO_2 film and may passivate the oxygen vacancy states. The surface roughness of HfO_2 film can also be reduced. Those improvements of HfO_2 film lead to a smaller hysteresis and lower leakage current density of the MOS capacitor. The N_2-plasma is introduced into Au nanocrystal(NC) nonvolatile memory to treat the HfO_2 blocking layer. For the N_2-plasma treated device, it shows a better retention characteristic and is twice as large in the memory window than that for the no N_2-plasma treated device. It can be concluded that the N_2-plasma treatment method can be applied to future nonvolatile memory applications.     

Optical polarization characteristics for AlGaN-based light-emitting diodes with AlGaN multilayer structure as well layer

The optical properties of AlGaN-based quantum well(QW) structure with two coupled thin well layers are investigated by the six-by-six K-P method.Compared with the conventional structure,the new structure,especially the one with lower Al-content in the barrier layer,can enhance the TE-/TM-polarized total spontaneous emission rate due to the strong quantum confinement and wide recombination region.For the conventional QW structure,the reduction of well thickness can lead the degree of polarization(DOP) to decrease and the internal quantum efficiency(IQE) to increase.By using the coupled thin well layers,the DOP for the structure with high Al-content in the barrier layer can be improved,while the DOP will further decrease with low Al-content in the barrier layer.It can be attributed to the band adjustment induced by the combination of barrier height and well layer coupling.The IQE can also be further enhanced to 14.8%-20.5% for various Al-content of barrier layer at J=100 A/cm~2.In addition,the efficiency droop effect can be expected to be suppressed compared with the conventional structure.