基于Si3N4的电荷俘获型存储器中氧缺陷的第一性原理研究

Based on first principle calculations, a comprehensive study of substitutional oxygen defects in hexagonal silicon nitride （β-Si3N4） has been carried out. Firstly, it is found that substitutional oxygen is most likely to form clusters at three sites in Si3N4 due to the intense attractive interaction between oxygen defects. Then, by using three analytical tools （trap energy, modified Bader analysis and charge density difference）, we discuss the trap abilities of the three clusters. The result shows that each kind of cluster at the three specific sites presents very different abilities to trap charge carriers （electrons or holes）： two of the three clusters can trap both kinds of charge carriers, confirming their amphoteric property; While the last remaining one is only able to trap hole carriers. Moreover, our studies reveal that the three clusters differ from each other in terms of endurance during the program/erase progress. Taking full account of capturing properties for the three oxygen clusters, including trap ability and endurance, we deem holes rather than electrons to be optimal to act as operational charge carriers for the oxygen defects in Si3N4-based charge trapping memories.     

Mathematical Model of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Based on Optic Absorption and Experiment Testing

On the basis of analysis on the temperature monitoring methods for high voltage devices, a new type of fiber optic sensor structure with reference channel is given.And the operation principle of fiber optic sensor is analysed at large based on the absorption of semiconductor chip.The mathematical model of both devices and the whole system are also given.It is proved by the experiment that this mathematical model is reliable.     

DESIGN OF HIGH VOLTAGE POWER CONVERTER FOR TRAVELING WAVE TUBE AMPLIFIER

Traveling Wave Tubes(TWTs) are widely used in the radar and communications system as RF power amplifiers. A highly sophisticated power supply is required by TWT. In order to meet the severe requirements of Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier(TWTA), a novel two-stage topology high voltage converter for TWTA is proposed.The converter is based on Zero-Voltage Switching and Zero-Current Switching(ZVS/ZCS) resonant techniques. The high voltage converter operation principles are investigated and major features of the converter are discussed. The power switching mode of ZVS/ZCS is obtained. The experimental results show that the converter has good soft switching characteristics. Compared to the conventional hard switched Pulse Width Modulation(PWM) techniques, the high efficiency and low ripple of the converter for TWTA are realized. The efficiency of High Voltage Electronic Power Conditioners(HV-EPC) over 93.5% under the condition of 38~46 V input voltage and 260~300 W input power. The switching frequency of first-stage(preregulator) of HV-EPC is 89 k Hz and the switching frequency of second-stage(postregulator) is 44.5 k Hz. The highest output voltage of the HV-EPC is helix voltage which is about –6.8 kV. It is especially suitable for TWTA utilized in space satellite applications due to its high switching frequency and high power density.     

Observation and study on the dark defects in InGaAsP/InP double-heterostructure leds

 The defects in lnGaAsP/InP DH LEDs are observed with an infrared line scanner.The dark structure appears before aging and it exists mainly in the form of dark spot defect.The effect of the variety and concentration of the doping for p-InP confining layers on the dark defects is studied.The results show that the percentage of devices with dark defects is much lower for Mg or In-Zn doped devices than for Zn doped devices.It is believed that Zn is one of the important origin for the formation of dark defects.The growth rate of dark defects is studied both at room temperature and at 70—85℃.The results show that after agin for 15000 h at room temperature there are no dark defects newly appeared.But after aging for 2000 h at 70—85℃ some devices show newly formed dark structure with very slow growth rate.     

Effects of electrodes on resistance switching characteristics of TiO2 for flexible memory

Flexible TiO2 memory devices are fabricated on a plastic substrate at room temperature. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure is grown on polyimide (PI). Several metals with different ductilities, such as Al, W, Cu and Ag, are selected as electrode. The test results show that the samples have stable resistive switching behaviors, and the electric characteristics can stay stable even after the radius of substrate is bent up to 10 mm. After 103 times of substrate bend-ing, the memory cells with W as bottom electrode on PI still show stable resistive switching characteristics and low switching voltages. The set voltage and reset voltage can be as low as 0.9 V and 0.3 V, respectively.     

Towards engineering in memristors for emerging memory and neuromorphic computing:A review

Resistive random-access memory(RRAM),also known as memristors,having a very simple device structure with two terminals,fulfill almost all of the fundamental requirements of volatile memory,nonvolatile memory,and neuromorphic characteristics.Its memory and neuromorphic behaviors are currently being explored in relation to a range of materials,such as biological materials,perovskites,2D materials,and transition metal oxides.In this review,we discuss the different electrical behaviors exhibited by RRAM devices based on these materials by briefly explaining their corresponding switching mechanisms.We then discuss emergent memory technologies using memristors,together with its potential neuromorphic applications,by elucidating the different material engineering techniques used during device fabrication to improve the memory and neuromorphic performance of devices,in areas such as ION/IOFF ratio,endurance,spike time-dependent plasticity(STDP),and paired-pulse facilitation(PPF),among others.The emulation of essential biological synaptic functions realized in various switching materials,including inorganic metal oxides and new organic materials,as well as diverse device structures such as single-layer and multilayer hetero-structured devices,and crossbar arrays,is analyzed in detail.Finally,we discuss current challenges and future prospects for the development of inorganic and new materials-based memristors.     

Fabrication of flexible organic light-emitting diodes with Alq3 as emitting layer

Fabrication of flexible organic light-emitting diodes（FOLEDs） with ITO/PVK ：TPD/Alq3/Al configuration prepared on PET substrates is reported. Alq3 is used as the light-emitting material. The curves of the current density vs. voltage,optical current vs. voltage and quantum efficiency vs. current density of the devices are investigated. Compared the devices with the ones that have the same configuration and are fabricated under the same conditions but on glass substrates,the characteristics of the two kinds of devices are very similar except that the threshold voltage of the flexible FOLEDs is a little higher. Under the driving voltage of 20V,the corresponding brightness and the external quantum efficiency are 1000 cd/m^2 and 0. 27%, respectively. In addition, the anti-bend ability of the devices is tested and the reasons of failure of the devices are analyzed.     

Ferroelectricity of hafnium oxide-based materials: Current status and future prospects from physical mechanisms to device applications

The finding of the robust ferroelectricity in HfO₂-based thin films is fantastic from the view point of both the fundamentals and the applications. In this review article, the current research status of the future prospects for the ferroelectric HfO₂-based thin films and devices are presented from fundamentals to applications. The related issues are discussed, which include:1) The ferroelectric characteristics observed in HfO₂-based films and devices associated w...     

OBSERVATION AND STUDY ON THE DARK DEFECTS IN InGaAsP/InP DOUBLE-HETEROSTRUCTURE LEDs

The defects in lnGaAsP/InP DH LEDs are observed with an infrared line scanner.The darkstructure appears before aging and it exists mainly in the form of dark spot defect.The effect of the variety andconcentration of the doping for p-InP confining layers on the dark defects is studied.The results show that thepercentage of devices with dark defects is much lower for Mg or In-Zn doped devices than for Zn dopeddevices.It is believed that Zn is one of the important origin for the formation of dark defects.The growth rateof dark defects is studied both at room temperature and at 70—85℃.The results show that after agin for15000 h at room temperature there are no dark defects newly appeared.But after aging for 2000 h at 70—85℃some devices show newly formed dark structure with very slow growth rate.     

Investigation and modeling of the avalanche effect in MOSFETs with non-uniform finger spacing

This paper investigates the effect of a non-uniform gate-finger spacing layout structure on the avalanche breakdown performance of RF CMOS technology.Compared with a standard multi-finger device with uniform gate-finger spacing,a device with non-uniform gate-finger spacing represents an improvement of 8.5%for the drain-source breakdown voltage(BV_ds) and of 20%for the thermally-related drain conductance.A novel compact model is proposed to accurately predict the variation of B V_ds with the total area of devices,which is dependent on the different finger spacing sizes.The model is verified and validated by the excellent match between the measured and simulated avalanche breakdown characteristics for a set of uniform and non-uniform gate-finger spacing arranged nMOSFETs.     

Study of radiation hardness of HfO2-based resistive switching memory at nanoscale by conductive atomic force microscopy

A resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) with an HfO₂/Ti structure grown on a molybdenum (MO) substrate was fabricated, and a gold (Au) conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) tip was used as the top electrode such that the cell area of the resulting RRAM device is as small as 3 × 10⁻¹² cm². The pre- and post-irradiated resistive switching behaviors of the RRAM device with various HfO₂ layer thicknesses were investigated after being subjected to Co⁶⁰ γ-ray irradiation with different radiation doses. It is found that the forming voltage (V_forming), set voltage (V_set), resistance of high resistance state (RHRS) and resistance of low resistance state (RLRS) of the RRAM device are all radiation dose-dependent. The V_forming, V_set, RHRS and RLRS all decrease as the radiation dose increases due to increasing radiation-induced oxygen vacancies or defects inside the HfO₂ layer. Our experimental results indicate that the HfO₂-based RRAM cell with an extremely small cell area is not actually radiation hard since the operating voltage will change with V_forming and V_set after irradiation.     

Realization of the Switching Mechanism in Resistance Random Access Memory™ Devices: Structural and Electronic Properties Affecting Electron Conductivity in a Hafnium Oxide–Electrode System Through First-Principles Calculations

The resistance random access memory (RRAM?) device, with its electrically induced nanoscale resistive switching capacity, has attracted considerable attention as a future nonvolatile memory device. Here, we propose a mechanism of switching based on an oxygen vacancy migration-driven change in the electronic properties of the transition-metal oxide film stimulated by set pulse voltages. We used density functional theory-based calculations to account for the effect of oxygen vacancies and their migration on the electronic properties of HfO₂ and Ta/HfO₂ systems, thereby providing a complete explanation of the RRAM? switching mechanism. Furthermore, computational results on the activation energy barrier for oxygen vacancy migration were found to be consistent with the set and reset pulse voltage obtained from experiments. Understanding this mechanism will be beneficial to effectively realizing the materials design in these devices.     

Forming-Free Reversible Bipolar Resistive Switching Behavior in Al-Doped HfO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Metal–Insulator–Metal Devices

Resistive switching (RS) characteristics are investigated in fabricated Al-doped HfO₂ metal–insulator–metal devices. It is proposed that oxygen vacancies in Al-doped HfO₂ devices play a key role as electron trap centers, leading to the forming-free reversible bipolar resistance switching behavior. The conduction mechanism can be explained by electron trapping and detrapping from such oxygen vacancy-related traps in the Al-doped HfO₂ films and is dominated by a trap-controlled space-charge-limited current (SCLC) mechanism. A large RS ratio (~10⁶) and excellent retention characteristics are also observed at room temperature as well as at 85°C. Such devices have potential for application in nonvolatile random-access memory.     

Control of Switching Modes and Conductance Quantization in Oxygen Engineered HfOx based Memristive Devices

Hafnium oxide (HfO_x)‐based memristive devices have tremendous potential as nonvolatile resistive random access memory (RRAM) and in neuromorphic electronics. Despite its seemingly simple two‐terminal structure, a myriad of RRAM devices reported in the rapidly growing literature exhibit rather complex resistive switching behaviors. Using Pt/HfO_x/TiN‐based metal–insulator–metal structures as model systems, it is shown that a well‐controlled oxygen stoichiometry governs the filament formation and the occurrence of multiple switching modes. The oxygen vacancy concentration is found to be the key factor in manipulating the balance between electric field and Joule heating during formation, rupture (reset), and reformation (set) of the conductive filaments in the dielectric. In addition, the engineering of oxygen vacancies stabilizes atomic size filament constrictions exhibiting integer and half‐integer conductance quantization at room temperature during set and reset. Identifying the materials conditions of different switching modes and conductance quantization contributes to a unified switching model correlating structural and functional properties of RRAM materials. The possibility to engineer the oxygen stoichiometry in HfO_x will allow creating quantum point contacts with multiple conductance quanta as a first step toward multilevel memristive quantum devices.     

High κ for MIM and RRAM applications: Impact of the metallic electrode and oxygen vacancies

Influence of metallic electrode and oxygen vacancies in MIM capacitors and MIM RRAM high κ based devices is studied. For both MIM capacitors and MIM RRAM it is shown that the electrode composition strongly influences the overall behavior of the devices and more precisely, the capacitance–voltage curve (nonlinearities) for MIM capacitors, and the switching mechanism (SET/RESET) for MIM RRAM. Best results for HfO₂ RRAM are obtained with Pt as bottom electrode instead of TiN while very low capacitance variations are observed for high work function electrodes, or more precisely electrodes with low oxygen affinity. These evolutions are related to the oxygen vacancies concentration and migration to the cathode electrode/high κ interface.     

Physical mechanism of resistance switching in the co-doped RRAM

The physical mechanism of the resistance switching for RRAM with co-doped defects (Ag and oxygen vacancy) is studied based on the first principle calculations and the simulation tool VASP. The interaction energy, formation energy and density of states of Ag and oxygen vacancy defect (V_O) are calculated. The calculated results reveal that the co-doped system is more stable than the system only doped either Ag or V_O defect and the impurity energy levels in the band gap are contributed by Ag and V_O defects. The obtained partial charge density confirmed further that the clusters are obvious in the direction of Ag to Hf ions, which means that it is Ag but V_O plays a role of conductive paths. For the formation mechanism, the modified electron affinity and the partial charge density difference are calculated. The results show that the ability of electron donors of Ag is stronger than V_{m O} In conclusion, the conductivity of the physical mechanism of resistance switching in the co-doped system mainly depends on the doped Ag.     

Application of the defect clustering model for forming,SET and RESET statistics in RRAM devices

The choice of the right statistical model to describe the distribution of switching parameters (forming, SET and RESET voltages) is a critical requirement for RRAM, as it is used to analyze the worst case scenarios of operation that have to be accounted for while designing the cross-bar array structures, so as to ensure a robust design of the circuit and reliable data storage unit. Several models have been proposed in the recent past to characterize the voltage variations in V_FORM, V_SET and V_RESET using the percolation framework. However, most of these models assume defect generation to be a Poisson process and apply the standard Weibull distribution for parameter extraction and lifetime extrapolation. Recent dielectric breakdown studies both at the front-end as well as back-end have shown that the Weibull statistics does not describe the stochastic trends well enough, more so in downscaled structures at the low and high percentile regions given the possibility of defect clustering which is either physics-driven or process quality-driven. This phenomenon of defect clustering is all the more applicable in the context of resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices, as switching occurs repeatedly at ruptured filament locations where defect clusters pre-exist. This study examines the validity of the clustering model for RRAM switching parameter statistics (time/voltage to FORM, SET and RESET) and presents a physical picture to explain the origin of clustering in RRAM. A large set of data from various published studies has been used here to test the suitability and need for a clustering model based reliability assessment. Dependence of the clustering factor on temperature, voltage, device area, dielectric microstructure and resistance state has also been examined.     

Compliance current dominates evolution of NiSi2 defect size in Ni/dielectric/Si RRAM devices

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices with a nickel top electrode form controllable metal nanofilaments and have robust resistive switching performance. We investigate the Ni/HfO₂/SiO_x/n⁺ Si RRAM structure, which forms a Ni-rich defect in the silicon underneath the Ni nanofilament in the dielectric layers after a SET process. The formation of these defects may affect the retention of the devices, so we applied a detailed Finite Element Method and Kinetic Monte Carlo approach to simulate the Ni-rich defect evolution under different compliance current settings. We confirm that the chemical composition of the defects is metallic NiSi₂, and that their size is determined by the compliance current. These simulation results are supported by in-situ STM-like experiments inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM). NiSi₂ defects are shaped as truncated square pyramids, and we show that this is due to the low activation energy of Ni migration along the (111) crystal plane of Si. Our results demonstrate that electromigration is the main driving force for Ni migration initially, after which thermal migration and especially stress migration become the dominant mechanism. This work gives a fascinating example of an as-grown metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) system that can be controllably converted to a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) configuration for down-scaled RRAM operation.     

铪/二氧化铪基双极阻变存储器特性研究

本文制备了纳米级Hf/HfO2阻变存储器（RRAM）。RRAM顶层电极和底部电极交叉，从而形成了金属-氧化物-金属结构。系统地研究了RRAM的电学特性，包括forming过程，SET过程和RESET过程。讨论了SET电压和RESET电压的相关性，以及高阻态和低阻态的相关性。RRAM的电学特性与SET过程中的限制电路强相关。可以基于量子点接触模型，阐述纳米级Hf/HfO2阻变存储器的导通机制。     

The resistive switching characteristics of a Ti/Gd2O3/Pt RRAM device

We successfully fabricated the Gd₂O₃ film for the application of resistive random access memory (RRAM). The resistive switching behavior of the Ti/Gd₂O₃/Pt capacitor structure could be both operated under positive or negative bias. However, there was a significant difference on the switching properties. The switching behavior under positive bias operation was more stable, had less voltage and resistance fluctuation, and had longer endurance than that of the negative one. We propose that the anode electrode plays an important role in the switching characteristics and may be the cause of the asymmetry of the I-V curves between positive and negative operation.