Temperature effect on read current in a two-bit nitride-based trapping Storage Flash EEPROM cell

The temperature effect on the read current of a two-bit nitride-storage Flash memory cell is investigated. In contrast to a conventional silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide (SONOS) cell with uniform Fowler-Nordheim (FN) programming, a significant high-V/sub T/ state read current increase, which results in the read window narrowing at high temperature, is observed in a channel hot electron (CHE) programmed cell. The increment of high-V/sub T/ state leakage current shows a positive correlation with program/erase threshold voltage window. Since the temperature effect is very sensitive to a locally trapped charge profile, a two-dimensional simulation with a step charge profile is employed to characterize the relationship between current increment and both charge width and charge density.