Degradation of Flash Memory Using Drain-Avalanche Hot Electron (DAHE) Self-Convergence Operation Scheme

In this paper, the n-channel Flash memory device degradation by utilizing the drain-avalanche hot electron (DAHE) self-convergence (S-C) scheme is demonstrated for the first time. The injected hole originated by the channel electron induced avalanche hot hole generation is believed to be responsible for this degradation. This hole injection phenomena not only result in the interface state generation but also lead to the hole trapping in the tunnel oxide. The increased interface states degrade the conduction of the channel current severely, which leads to abnormal write/erase (WIE) endurance characteristics. The trapped holes in the tunnel oxide increase the tunneling probability and cause the gate disturbance issue. From the concerns of long term reliability, the self-convergence operation by utilizing the DAHE mechanism is not a proper scheme for reliable Flash memory products.