Characteristics of AgInSbTe–SiO2 nanocomposite thin film applied to nonvolatile floating gate memory devices

Abstract

Nanocomposite thin films containing AgInSbTe (AIST) particles embedded in anSiO2 matrix was prepared by sputtering deposition and its feasibility for nonvolatilefloating gate memory (NFGM) was investigated. The sample subjected to a400 °C annealing exhibited a distinct hysteresis memory window(ΔVFB) shift = 6.6 V andcharge density = 5.2 × 1012 cm − 2 after ± 8 V gate voltage sweep. Electrical measurement revealed the current transport is via the Schottkyemission in low applied field and the space-charge-limited conduction mechanism in high appliedfield in the samples, regardless of their thermal history. Transmission electron microscopy andx-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the metallicSb2Te nanocrystals (NCs) with diameters about 5–7 nm dispersed in a nanocomposite layer may serve as thediscrete charge-storage traps for nonvolatile memory. Analytical results illustrate the utilization of anAIST–SiO2 nanocomposite layer as the core structure of NFGM devices is able to simplify the devicestructure and fabrication process.