Atomic-layer deposited IrO2 nanodots for charge-trap flash-memory devices

Abstract

Charge-trap flash- (CTF) memory structures have been fabricated by employing IrO2 nanodots (NDs) grown by atomic-layer deposition. A band of isolated IrO2NDs of about 3 nm lying almost parallel to Si/SiO2 interface is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The memory device with IrO2NDs shows much larger capacitance–voltage (C–V) hysteresis and memory window compared with the control sample without IrO2NDs. After annealing at 800 °C for 20 min, the ND device shows almost no change in the width of C–V hysteresis and the ND distribution. These results indicate that the IrO2NDs embedded in SiO2 can be utilized as thermally stable, discrete charge traps, promising for metal oxide-ND-based CTF memory devices.