Deposition-temperature effect on nitride trapping layer of silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon memory

A silicon nitride film is one of the most important factors for determining the trapping efficiency of nonvolatile silicon-oxidenitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory devices. In this work, we focus on the nitride-layer deposition at different temperatures by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and examine the trap levels through photoluminescence (PL) measurement. Moreover, using DC current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements, we investigate the electrical characteristics, breakdown characteristics, and the relationship between performance and trap-level depth. Our results show that the silicon nitride deposited by LPCVD at 830 degrees C has better performance and reliability. However, the charge-to-breakdown (Q(BD)) quality of the nitride film deposited at 600 degrees C is better due to the suppression of the influence of the transition layer near the interface at the lower deposition temperature. In summary, this study can help researchers to understand the temperature effect on nitride-film deposition and the analysis of its electrical characteristics.