MONOS memory in sequential laterally solidified low-temperature poly-Si TFTs

A metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-polysilicon (MONOS) memory device fabricated by sequential lateral solidified (SLS) low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) technology on a glass substrate was investigated. The Si protrusions at grain boundaries (GBs) as a result of the SLS process can be well controlled and located along the width direction of the transistor. Protrusions at the GBs are utilized as emitting source to achieve a MONOS memory device with low operation voltage (/spl les/ 20 V), fast program/erase time, and wide V/sub th/ window by field-enhanced channel hot electron injection for programming and field-enhanced band-to-band tunneling-induced hot hole injection for erase. This is the first study to demonstrate a nonvolatile memory device in low-temperature poly-Si thin-film transistor (LTPS TFT) technology, which can be integrated with TFT-liquid crystal display, to reduce power consumption for mobile applications.