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Relaxation Behavior and Breakdown Mechanisms of Nanocrystals Embedded Zr-doped HfO2 High-k Thin Films for Nonvolatile Memories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Chia-Han Yang ,
Yue Kuo ,
Chen-Han Lin ,
Rui Wan  and
Way Kuo
Chia-Han Yang
Affiliation:
cyang4@utk.edu, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3122, United States
Yue Kuo
Affiliation:
yuekuo@tamu.edu, Texas A&M University, Thin Film Nano & Microelectronics Research Laboratory, 235 J. E. Brown Eng. Bldg., MS 3122, TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-3122, United States, 979-845-9807, 979-458-8836
Chen-Han Lin
Affiliation:
alou0882@tamu.edu, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3122, United States
Rui Wan
Affiliation:
rwan@utk.edu, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
Way Kuo
Affiliation:
way@utk.edu, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
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Abstract

Semiconducting or metallic nanocrystals embedded high-k films have been investigated. They showed promising nonvolatile memory characteristics, such as low leakage currents, large charge storage capacities, and long retention times. Reliability of four different kinds of nanocrystals, i.e., nc- Ru, -ITO, -Si and -ZnO, embedded Zr-doped HfO2 high-k dielectrics have been studied. All of them have higher relaxation currents than the non-embedded high-k film has. The decay rate of the relaxation current is in the order of nc-ZnO > nc-ITO > nc-Si > nc-Ru. When the relaxation currents of the nanocrystals embedded samples were fitted to the Curie-von Schweidler law, the n values were between 0.54 and 0.77, which are much lower than that of the non embedded high-k sample. The nanocrystals retain charges in two different states, i.e., deeply and loosely trapped. The ratio of these two types of charges was estimated. The charge storage capacity and holding strength are strongly influenced by the type of material of the embedded nanocrystals. The nc-ZnO embedded film holds trapped charges longer than other embedded films do. The ramp-relax result indicates that the breakdown of the embedded film came from the breakdown of the bulk high-k film. The type of nanocrystal material influences the breakdown strength.

Keywords

memorydielectricdevices
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1071: Symposium F – Materials Science and Technology for Nonvolatile Memories , 2008 , 1071-F02-09
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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