Author:

Keywords:

flash memories, percolation, retention, stress-induced leakage current, breakdown statistics, oxide breakdown, cells, silc, Science & Technology, Technology, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Electrical & Electronic, Physics, Applied, Engineering, Physics, BREAKDOWN STATISTICS, SILC, CELL, 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Applied Physics, 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware

Abstract:

Data retention in flash memories is limited by anomalous charge loss. In this work, this phenomenon is modeled with a percolation concept. An analytical model is constructed that relates the charge-loss distribution of moving bits in flash memories with the geometric distribution of oxide traps. The oxide is characterized by a single parameter, the trap density. Combined with a trap-to-trap direct tunneling model, the physical parameters of the electron traps involved in the leakage mechanism are determined. Flash memory failure rate predictions for different oxide qualities, thicknesses and tunnel-oxide voltages are calculated.