The electron charging and discharging in silicon nanocrystal floating gate memory have been calculated and analyzed in many different structures using the model considering the quantum effect.
The self-limited electron charging process of a silicon nanocrystal memory has been simulated using the F. Rana's formalism. The steady state mean values of electrons in quantum dot have been calculated. The time evolution of mean values of electrons in quantum dot has also been evaluated.
The simulation of retention time considering the deep level storage has resulted closer to the experimental result than the Rana's former simulation considering only the conduction band storage.
Consequently, the introduction of the deep level storage mechanism is desirable for the long retention time of silicon nanocrystal memory. For low voltage operation of silicon nanocrystal memory, it is important to employ a thinner control gate oxide.
