P-Type Poly-Silicon Gate-All-Around Junctionless Nanowire Transistor for Multi-State One-Time Programmable Memory

One-time programmable (OTP) memory has been a critical focus of cybersecurity, as it is a perfect candidate for storing sensitive information, such as encryption keys or security parameters. Due to the increase in cyber-hacking, OTP characteristics can provide a higher level of protection against unauthorized access and tampering than any other type of memory. In this study, the utilization of a p-type poly-Si junctionless nanowire transistor with gate-all-around architecture shows potential to significantly enhance the performance of multistate OTP memory without requiring additional process modifications to the n-type counterpart. Furthermore, this advancement leads to a markedly improved program yield and enlarged memory window compared to n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) technology. It exceeds the NMOS OTP in terms of lower programming voltage, a larger memory window (∼10 3 times), higher yield (>90%), and lower retention variation at elevated temperatures.