Passivated TiN nanocrystals/SiN trapping layer for enhanced erasing in nonvolatile memory

We present chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride nanocrystals (ncs) on silicon nitride (SiN). Ncs are passivated in situ by a silicon shell and encapsulated in SiN. High density (3×1012 cm−2), crystalline and isolated ncs are observed by transmission electron microscopy and characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. TiN ncs/SiN are integrated as charge trapping layer in a nonvolatile memory. Devices show large memory window (10 V) and fast erasing compared to devices using pure SiN trapping layer, explained by enhanced electrical field in SiN. Acceptable reliability in terms of cycling and data retention is also demonstrated.