SuperFlash® Scaling Aspects: Program Disturb

A systematic study of dominant program-disturb mechanisms in advanced embedded split-gate SuperFlash memory across ambient temperature ranging from -45°C to 175°C is presented. At low temperatures program disturb is initiated by trap-assisted band-to-band tunneling in the split-gate channel area and/or trap-assisted tunneling via thin select gate oxide and at high temperatures - by surface generation in select-gate channel. Effects of single traps on program disturb in split-gate memory have been analyzed. Good quality of thin select gate oxide and its interface with channel is important to meet stringent requirements of the wide-temperature embedded memory applications.