Investigation of Mechanical Stability during Electro-thermal Annealing in a 3D NAND Flash Memory String

Abstract

Simulation studies are performed for better mechanical stability during using electro-thermal annealing (ETA) in 3D NAND flash memory. It is revealed that the mechanical stress is closely associated with the cell temperature and thermal expansion characteristic. Based on the thermal and material knowledges, various approaches for reducing the mechanical stress are proposed in terms of modification of bias configuration, alternative materials, and novel structure.