First Theoretical Modeling of the Bandgap-Engineered Oxynitride Tunneling Dielectric for 3D Flash Memory Devices Starting from the Ab Initio Calculation of the Band Diagram to Understand the Programming, Erasing and Reliability

Bandgap engineered (BE) tunneling barrier using oxynitride (SiON) is a key enablement of charge-trapping devices adopted in commercial 3D Flash memories. For the first time we use the ab initio quantum simulation to model the bandgap for oxynitride, and explain the measured data of programming, erasing, and reliability aspects. Various nitrogen concentration effects are studied extensively and it ...