Geng-Wei Chang

Characteristics and Mechanisms of Silicon-Oxide-Based Resistance Random Access Memory

Traditionally, a large number of silicon oxide materials are extensively used as various dielectrics for semiconductor industries. In general, silicon oxide cannot be used as resistance random access memory (RRAM) due to its insulating electrical properties. In this letter, we have successfully produced resistive switching and forming-free behaviors by zinc doped into silicon oxide. The current-voltage fitting data show that current transport mechanism is governed by Poole-Frenkel behavior in high-resistance state and Ohms law in low-resistance state, consisting with filament theory. Additionally, good endurance and retention reliabilities are exhibited in the zinc-doped silicon oxide RRAM.

Bipolar Resistive RAM Characteristics Induced by Nickel Incorporated Into Silicon Oxide Dielectrics for IC Applications

In this letter, we successfully produced resistive switching behaviors by nickel doped into silicon oxide at room temperature. The nickel element was doped into silicon oxide, which is a useful dielectric material in integrated circuit (IC) industries by cosputtering technology. Based on the proposed method, satisfactory reliability of the resistance switching device can be demonstrated by endurance and retention evaluation. We believe that the silicon oxide doped with nickel at room temperature is a promising method for resistive random access memory nonvolatile memory applications due to its compatibility with the IC processes.

Charge Quantity Influence on Resistance Switching Characteristic During Forming Process

In this letter, we presented that the charge quantity is the critical factor for forming process. Forming is a pivotal process in resistance random access memory to activate the resistance switching behavior. However, overforming would lead to device damage. In general, the overshoot current has been considered as a degradation reason during the forming process. In this letter, the quantity of charge through the switching layer has been proven as the key element in the formation of the conduction path. Ultrafast pulse forming can form a discontinuous conduction path to reduce the operation power.

Origin of Hopping Conduction in Sn-Doped Silicon Oxide RRAM With Supercritical

In this letter, we investigate the origin of hopping conduction in the low-resistance state (LRS) of a resistive random access memory device with supercritical CO2 fluid treatment. The dangling bonds of a tin-doped silicon oxide ( Sn:SiOx) thin film were cross linked by the hydration-dehydration reaction through supercritical fluid technology. The current conduction mechanism of the LRS in the posttreated Sn:SiOx thin film was transferred to hopping conduction from Ohmic conduction, owing to isolation of metal tin in the Sn:SiOx thin film by hydration-dehydration reaction. The phenomena can be verified by our proposed reaction model, which is speculated by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses.

\hbox{CO}_{2}

The switching layer with Si interfusion is investigated to improve the electrical characteristics of WOX resistance random access memory (RRAM). The WOX has attracted extensive attention for RRAM because it can form by converting the surface of the W-plug with a current complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible thermal oxidation process. In general, the resistance switching behavior of WOX-RRAM devices is unstable because the diverse oxidation state provided the stochastic conduction paths. In this research, the Si interfusion can effectively localize the filament conduction path in WOX resistance switching layer because the tungsten filament path is limited by SiOX in the WSiOX film during the forming process.

Fluid Treatment

To improve the resistive switching properties of the resistive random access memory (RRAM), the supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO₂) fluid is used as a low temperature treatment. In this letter, the Zn:SiO<i>x</i> thin films are treated by SCCO₂ fluid mixed with pure water. After SCCO₂ fluid treatment, the resistive switching qualities of the Zn:SiO_x thin films are carried out by XPS, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and IV measurement. We believe that the SCCO₂-treated Zn:SiO_x thin film is a proresistive switching properties mising material for RRAM applications due to its compatibility with portable flat panel display.

Silicon introduced effect on resistive switching characteristics of WOX thin films

Resistance random access memory (RRAM) is a great potential candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memory due to the outstanding memory characteristic. However, the resistance switching mechanism is still a riddle nowadays. In this letter, the switching mechanism is investigated by current-voltage (I-V) curve fitting in the TiN/WSiOX/Pt RRAM device. The asymmetric phenomenon of the carrier conduction behavior is explained at the high-resistance state in high electric field. The switching behavior is regarded to tip electric field by localizing the filament between the interface of top electrode and insulator.

Low Temperature Improvement Method on

An abnormal subthreshold leakage current is observed at high temperature, which causes a notable stretch-out phenomenon in amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs). This is due to trap-induced thermal-generated holes accumulating at the source region, which leads to barrier lowering on the source side and causes an apparent subthreshold leakage current. In order to obtain superior thermal stability performance of a-IGZO TFTs, conducting N2O plasma treatment on active layer was expected to avert defects generation during SiO2 deposition process. Reducing defects generation not only suppresses subthreshold current stretch-out phenomenon but also significantly improves the bias stress stability in a-IGZO TFTs at high temperature.

{\rm Zn{:}SiO}_{x}

The instability of the gate bias and drain bias stresses is observed at high temperature in amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs). The transfer characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs at different temperatures are also investigated in this paper. The transfer curve exhibits an apparent subthreshold current stretchout phenomenon at high temperature. The stretchout phenomenon becomes more serious with the increase of the temperature. In addition, thermally induced holes are accumulated by the negative gate voltage and get trapped in the gate dielectric or at the dielectric/channel interface at high temperature. The negative threshold voltage shifts with stress time and this is because the trapped holes induce more electrons. For drain bias stress at high temperature, the transfer curve exhibits an apparent shift during drain bias stress at high temperature compared with the same at room temperature. At high temperature, thermally induced holes are trapped in the gate insulator, especially near the drain region. Capacitance-voltage measurements have been used to prove the nonuniform hole-trapping phenomenon. Furthermore, the simulation of the capacitance-voltage and current-voltage curves also have been applied to confirm the hole-trapping distribution. The obtained results clarify that the instability is caused by nonuniform hole-trapping phenomenon.

Resistive Random Access Memory Devices

An abnormal sub-threshold leakage current is observed at high temperature in amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs). This phenomenon occurs due to a reduced number of defects in the devices a-IGZO active layer after the device has undergone N2O plasma treatment. Experimental verification shows that the N2O plasma treatment enhances the thin film bonding strength, thereby suppressing the formation of temperature-dependent holes, which are generated above 400 K by oxygen atoms leaving their original sites. The N2O plasma treatment devices have better stability performance than as-fabricated devices. The results suggest that the density of defects for a-IGZO TFTs with N2O plasma treatment is much lower than that in as-fabricated devices. The N2O plasma treatment repairs the defects and suppresses temperature-dependent sub-threshold leakage current.