Sentaurus Technology Template: SONOS Read/Write Operation

Full Documentation

This Sentaurus TCAD project provides a template for the simulation of the read/ write operation and the charge retention of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) nonvolatile memory device.

A SONOS memory device is based on a typical 0.13 µm NMOS structure with a nitride layer embedded in the gate stack. The program and erase states of the device are simulated for several cycles to achieve a stead-state charge density and then I_dV_gs curves are run to extract the corresponding threshold voltages. Lastly, a 10-year simulation is used to characterize the long-term charge retention capabilities of the SONOS structure.

Trapped electron and hole charge and total space charge in nitride region of SONOS device as a function of time during the program and erase cycles; corresponding applied gate bias is also shown

Concentration of electrons during the program cycle (left) and holes during the erase cycle (right) that tunnel into and out of the nitride region of the SONOS device

IdVg curve for program and erase states of SONOS device

Trapped electron and hole charge densities as a function of time are simulated for 10 years

The simulation project is part of the Sentaurus TCAD distribution at:

../Example_Library/Memory/SONOS_Memory