Conventional technology scaling is implemented to meet the insatiable demand of high memory density and low cost per bit of charge storage nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices. In this study, effect of technology scaling to anomalous threshold voltage (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M1" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x1D449" d="M730 650l-8 -28q-52 -4 -72 -18t-64 -77q-79 -113 -321 -539h-33l-119 541q-13 59 -29.5 73t-66.5 20l7 28h245l-8 -28l-28 -5q-33 -6 -40.5 -15.5t-0.5 -38.5l102 -450h2q191 320 246 430q21 42 15.5 56t-43.5 19l-31 4l7 28h240z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><path id="x1D461" d="M324 430l-26 -36l-112 -4l-55 -265q-13 -66 7 -66q13 0 44.5 20t50.5 40l17 -24q-38 -40 -85.5 -73.5t-87.5 -33.5q-50 0 -21 138l55 262h-80l-2 8l25 34h66l25 99l78 63l10 -9l-37 -153h128z" /></g> </svg>) variability is investigated thoroughly on postcycled and baked nitride based charge storage NVM devices. After long annealing bake of high temperature, cell’s <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M2" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> variability of each subsequent bake increases within stable <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M3" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> distribution and found exacerbate by technology scaling. Apparent activation energy of this anomalous <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M4" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> variability was derived through Arrhenius plots. Apparent activation energy (Eaa) of this anomalous <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M5" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> variability is 0.67 eV at sub-40 nm devices which is a reduction of approximately 2 times from 110 nm devices. Technology scaling clearly aggravates this anomalous <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M6" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> variability, and this poses reliability challenges to applications that demand strict <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M7" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> control, for example, reference cells that govern fundamental program, erase, and verify operations of NVM devices. Based on critical evidence, this anomalous <svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:17.4125px;" id="M8" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.4125 15.4" width="17.4125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x1D461"/></g> </svg> variability is attributed to lateral displacement of trapped charges in nitride storage layer. Reliability implications of this study are elucidated. Moreover, potential mitigation methods are proposed to complement technology scaling to prolong the front-runner role of nitride based charge storage NVM in semiconductor flash memory market.