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Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol.156, No.4, H276-H280, 2009
Improvement of Charge-Storage Characteristics of Mo Nanocrystal Memory by Double-Layer Structure
An oxygen-incorporated Mo silicide layer was explored to form the Mo nanocrystals after rapid thermal annealing. Transmission electron microscopy showed the nanocrystals embedded in SiOx. Charge-storage characteristics of Mo nanocrystals influenced by Mo oxide and its surrounding oxide were investigated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrical measurement. X-ray photoelectron spectral analyses revealed a redox reaction in the oxygen-incorporated Mo silicide layer after rapid thermal annealing at a critical temperature. The memory window and retention were improved because of the reduction of Mo oxide. Furthermore, the double-layer nanocrystal structure was fabricated through the annealed stacked oxygen incorporated Mo silicide layer. A larger memory window and long retention were found for the double-layer nanocrystal structure. We used an energy band diagram to explain the difference in retention characteristics between single- and double-layer structures.
Keywords:band structure;molybdenum;molybdenum compounds;nanostructured materials;oxidation;random-access storage;rapid thermal annealing;reduction (chemical);silicon compounds;transmission electron microscopy;X-ray photoelectron spectra