Scalable flash/NV structures and devices with extended endurance

Abstract

According to an embodiment of a method for operating a nonvolatile memory device, one or more non-volatile memory cells in one or more arrays are written by applying a voltage across a dielectric to store charge on charge centers in the high K dielectric, and one or more non-volatile memory cells are erased by applying a voltage across the dielectric to tunnel electrons off of the charge centers. Applying a voltage across a dielectric includes enhancing a resulting electric field using an injector medium and a high K dielectric. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

1 . A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device, comprising: 
 writing to one or more non-volatile memory cells in one or more arrays by applying a voltage across a dielectric to store charge on charge centers in the high K dielectric; and    erasing one or more non-volatile memory cells by applying a voltage across the dielectric to tunnel electrons off of the charge centers,    wherein applying a voltage across a dielectric includes enhancing a resulting electric field using an injector medium and a high K dielectric.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field by a factor of approximately 1.5 using the injector medium and by an additional factor of approximately 1.6 using the high K dielectric.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field using an injector medium between the dielectric and a control gate.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field using an injector medium between the dielectric and the substrate.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field using the injector medium between the substrate and a tunnel layer, the tunnel layer being between the substrate and the dielectric with the charge centers.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using an injector medium and a high K dielectric, wherein the dielectric includes an oxide of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a nitride of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium as the dielectric.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a silicate of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium as the dielectric.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a dielectric doped with a metal oxide selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a dielectric doped with a metal oxide selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a dielectric doped with a metal oxide selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying a voltage across a dielectric includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on silicon nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on gold nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on silicided tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying a voltage across a dielectric includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on silicon nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on gold nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on silicided tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes using Silicon Rich Oxide (SRO) as the injector medium.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes using Silicon Rich Nitride (SRN) as the injector medium.  
     
     
         24 . A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device, comprising: 
 writing to one or more memory cells in one or more arrays by applying a voltage across a dielectric to store charge on charge centers in the dielectric; and    erasing one or more non-volatile memory cells by applying a voltage across the dielectric to tunnel electrons off of the charge centers in the dielectric,    wherein applying the voltage across the dielectric includes enhancing a resulting electric field using a first injector layer, a second injector layer, and a high K dielectric.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field by a factor of approximately 1.7 using the first injector medium and the second injector medium, and by an additional factor of approximately 1.6 using the high K dielectric.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field using the first injector medium between the dielectric and a control gate, and the second injector medium between the dielectric and the substrate.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes enhancing the resulting electric field using the second injector medium between the substrate and a tunnel layer, the tunnel layer being between the substrate and the dielectric with the charge centers.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using an oxide of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium as the dielectric.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a nitride of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium as the dielectric.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a silicate of an element selected from the group of elements consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a dielectric doped with metal oxides selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a dielectric doped with metal oxides selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing a resulting electric field includes using a injector medium and a high K dielectric, wherein the dielectric is doped with metal oxides selected from a group consisting of tantalum pentoxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum nitride zirconium oxide and praseodymium oxide.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on silicon nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on gold nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across alumina to store charge on silicided tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the alumina.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein applying a voltage across a dielectric includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on silicon nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on gold nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on tungsten nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein applying a voltage includes applying a voltage across silica to store charge on silicided nano crystals dispersed in the silica.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes using Silicon Rich Oxide (SRO) for at least one of the first and second injector layers.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enhancing the resulting electric field includes using Silicon Rich Nitride (SRN) for at least one of the first and second injector layers.  
     
     
         46 . A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device, comprising: 
 writing to one or more non-volatile memory cells in one or more arrays by applying a voltage across a high K dielectric to store charge on charge centers in the high K dielectric; and    erasing one or more non-volatile memory cells by applying a voltage across the high K dielectric to tunnel electrons off of the charge centers.    
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein applying a voltage across a high K dielectric includes enhancing a resulting electric field using at least one injector medium.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein writing to one or more non-volatile memory cells in one or more arrays includes applying a voltage across alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) to store charge on charge centers formed by nano crystals dispersed in the Al 2 O 3 .