W. R. Chen, Y. J. Chen, Macronix International Co., Ltd., Hsin-chu, Taiwan

Summary: The 2-bit/cell nitride-trapping device (NROM/Nbit) is one of the important type of NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) devices and is a potential candidate for replacing FG-type NVM device below 45nm node. In this study, electrical and physical failure analyses were used and the failure mechanisms and root causes of the testing vehicle devices fabricated by 130nm NBit technology were determined. Because cell dimension and spacing requirements for high-density memory are quite aggressive, these observations help to optimize process and improve yield.