Abstract
A newly developed storage dielectric was found to have exceptional competence to prolong the life span of existent NO -based dielectrics by adopting N2 O wet oxidation and postoxidation treatment. Compared with the conventional NO dielectric, 12.6% cell capacitance enhancement can be achieved while keeping a comparable leakage current. The reliability performance is also qualified with less than 438 ppm failure rate after 10-years of operation. In addition to the distinguished electrical characteristics, the intriguing point is its process simplicity since the N2 O -related process could be fully integrated into the current furnace process. Combining the promising properties, this economical technique would be favorable for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) manufacturers to control their chip cost in the increasingly competitive arena. © 2006 The Electrochemical Society.