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Interface states formation in a localized charge trapping nonvolatile memory deviceThe generation of interface states plays an important role in the degradation of submicrometer devices. Previous attention was mainly focused on the conversion between interface states and their precursors. The total number of defects, which is the sum of precursors and interface states, is often implicitly assumed to be constant. However, recent work indicates that this number could be increased. The mechanism for the generation of new precursors is still not clear and the objective of this article is to throw light on it. The work is concentrated on investigating the roles played by hydrogen and the holes trapped in the oxide. It is found that, although the H 2 or the trapped hole alone does not create precursors, their simultaneous presence causes the damage. The hydrogen species can be either supplied externally or released within the device. The generation is thermally activated, but saturates at a defect-limited level. The generation kinetics is studied and the rate limiting mechanism is discussed. Efforts have been made to unveil the differences between the generated precursors and those originally in the device, in terms of their existing forms, thermal stability, annealing behavior, dependence on the hole fluence, and the hydrogen involvement. It is concluded that they originate from different defects.

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Defect generation in dielectrics under electrical stress is an important reliability issue for microelectronic devices. Most recent attention has focused on the generation of interface states and electron traps, while the creation of hole traps has rarely been reported. For example, there is hardly any information on the hole trap generation in oxynitrides and the generation under different temperatures has not been investigated. The objective of this work is to study the dependence of hole trap generation on temperature and nitridation. Based on new results, the role played by hydrogenous species in the generation is explored.