Electrically‐alterable read‐only‐memory using Si‐rich SiO2 injectors and a floating polycrystalline silicon storage layer

Currently, electrically‐alterable read‐only‐memory (EAROM) has become increasingly important for memory and logic operations. A novel EAROM device in a field‐effect transistor (FET) configuration, which uses a floating polycrystalline silicon (poly‐Si) layer on top of thermal SiO2 and a dual electron injector structure (DEIS) between this floating poly‐Si and a control gate poly‐Si contact, is described. The DEIS stack consists of sequentially chemically vapor deposited (CVD) layers of Si‐rich SiO2 (46% atomic Si), SiO2, and Si‐rich SiO2 (46% atomic Si) between the poly‐Si layers. Electrons from either poly‐Si layer can move to the other poly‐Si layer biased at the higher voltage with moderate applied voltages. Thus, the floating poly‐Si storage layer can be charged with electrons (’’write’’ operation) or with positive charge (’’erase’’ operation) in milliseconds with negative and positive control gate voltages, respectively. The average electric fields in the intervening CVD SiO2 layer during writing and...

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