High-resolution transmission electron microscopy study of 1.5 nm ultrathin tunnel oxides of metal-nitride-oxide-silicon nonvolatile memory devices
- 26 December 1988
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 53 (26) , 2629-2631
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.100539
Abstract
Metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) nonvolatile memory devices have an ultrathin tunnel oxide SiO2 layer and a signal-charge-stored nitride Si3N4 layer. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the cross-sectional structure of MNOS devices has been observed for the first time, including direct observation of tunnel SiO2. The following is revealed: (1) Tunnel SiO2 of 1.5 nm thickness is fabricated very uniformly on the surface of a Si substrate. (2) No mixing of tunnel SiO2 and Si3N4 is observed even though tunnel SiO2 is extremely thin. As a result, we can suggest that tunnel SiO2 in a MNOS device exhibits very stable morphology and stoichiometry characteristics.Keywords
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