Nano-Scale Memory Characteristics of Silicon Nitride Charge Trapping Layer with Silicon Nanocrystals

Silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) embedded in a silicon nitride (SiN) layer were fabricated as a charge trapping layer for nonvolatile memory (NVM) device applications. Nano-scale memory characteristics were investigated using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) and a semiconductor parameter analyzer. Nano-scale memory characteristics of Si-NCs embedded in the SiN layer were obtained from the shift of the current–voltage ( I – V ) curve. Charge trapping/detrapping and multi-level charge storage in Si-NCs embedded in the SiN layer were obtained at a metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) structure of about 100 nm 2 at room temperature. The flat band voltage ( V FB ) shift was about 0.37 V, which is agreed well with the calculated V FB shift for one electron per nanocrystal.