Oxygen-Driven Optimization of High-K Charge-Trapping Memories

With the rapid growth of data in the field of artificial intelligence, existing non-volatile memory technologies face the challenge of insufficient storage density. In this work, a charge-trapping memory (CTM) based on high-k materials was designed, and various oxygen modulation methods were explored to enhance memory performance. The devices were subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA), increased growth oxygen pressure followed by RTA, and oxygen plasma treatment. Significant improvements in memory windows were observed, reaching 12.9 V, 14.4 V, and 15.5 V, respectively, at a scanning voltage of ±10 V. These values represent a substantial increase compared to the 5.1 V memory window of directly grown devices. Additionally, charge retention projections after ten years were found to be 87%, 83%, and 93% for these treated devices, respectively. The mechanisms underlying these enhancements were analyzed using energy band theory. The study provides a theoretical and experimental foundation for the development of next-generation, high-density CTMs.