Effects of deuterium anneal on MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics

The effects of high-temperature (600/spl deg/C) anneal in a dilute deuterium (N/sub 2/ : D/sub 2/= 96 : 4) atmosphere was first investigated and evaluated in comparison to high-temperature forming gas (N/sub 2/ : H/sub 2/= 96 : 4) anneal (600/spl deg/C) and nonanneal samples. The high-temperature deuterium anneal was as effective as the forming gas anneal in improving MOSCAP and MOSFET characteristics such as the C-V curve, drain current, subthreshold swing, and carrier mobility. These can be attributed to the improved interface quality by D/sub 2/ atoms. However, unlike the forming gas anneal, the deuterium anneal provided the hafnium oxide (HfO/sub 2/) gate dielectric MOSFET with better reliability characteristics such as threshold voltage (V/sub T/) stability under high voltage stress.     

Surface Electron Transport over a Helium Film

The mobility of surface electrons trapped over helium films covering solid substrates is calculated within the Boltzmann kinetic approach. It is shown that the electron mobility is dominated by the roughness scattering of the interface liquid helium-substrate. The mobility dependences on temperature and film thickness are determined and compared with available experimental data. The characteristic values for surface defect sizes of the substrate are in the mesoscopic scale.     

Extraction of the Threshold-Voltage Shift by the Single-Pulse Technique

Methods for extracting threshold-voltage shift (DeltaV_th) in high-kappa transistors using the single-pulse drain current-gate voltage (I_d-V_g) technique were compared with respect to their accuracies and limitations. It is concluded that an accurate estimation of the (DeltaV_th) caused by charge trapping in high-kappa dielectrics can be obtained from the hysteresis of the pulsed (I_d-V_g) curve with proper calibration of the pulse measurement to account for the propagation delay. The (DeltaV_th) extraction that is based on the decrease of drain current during a pulse tends to underestimate charge trapping for higher pulse amplitudes.     

Program and Verify Word-Line Voltage Regulator for Multilevel Flash Memories

This paper presents a word-line voltage generator for multilevel (ML) Flash memory programming. The required voltages are provided by a regulator supplied by an on-chip charge-pump voltage multiplier. A feedback loop including a digitally programmable resistive divider generates the staircase-shaped waveform needed for adequate ML programming accuracy as well as the read/verify voltage required for read and verify operations. A high-swing controlled-discharge circuit minimizes the settling time when switching from program to verify phases and vice versa. The same generator is used to provide the voltage required in read and in program mode, thus saving silicon area and minimizing current consumption. Experimental results of the proposed circuit integrated in a 4-level-cell 64-Mb NOR-type Flash memory are presented.     

Thickness dependence of Weibull slopes of HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics

Breakdown voltage distribution, Weibull slopes, and area scaling factors have been investigated for HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics in order to gain a better understanding of the breakdown mechanism. Weibull slope of thick HfO/sub 2/ (e.g., /spl beta//spl ap/4 for EOT=2.5 nm) is smaller than that of SiO/sub 2/ with similar physical thickness, whereas /spl beta/ of the thinner HfO/sub 2/ (e.g., /spl beta//spl ap/2 for EOT=1.4 nm) is similar to that of SiO/sub 2/. The implication of the thickness dependence of /spl beta/ is discussed.     

高k棚介质中电荷俘获行为的脉冲特征分析

本文介绍了电荷俘获的原理以及直流特征分析技术对俘获电荷进行定量分析的局限性,同时介绍了脉冲I-V分析技术,其能够对具有快速瞬态充电效应(FTCE)的高k栅晶体管的本征(无俘获)性能进行特征分析.     

Inhibition of PKCθ Improves Dystrophic Heart Phenotype and Function in a Novel Model of DMD Cardiomyopathy

Chronic cardiac muscle inflammation and subsequent fibrotic tissue deposition are key features in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The treatment of choice for delaying DMD progression both in skeletal and cardiac muscle are corticosteroids, supporting the notion that chronic inflammation in the heart plays a pivotal role in fibrosis deposition and subsequent cardiac dysfunction. Nevertheless, considering the adverse effects associated with long-term corticosteroid treatments, there is a need for novel anti-inflammatory therapies. In this study, we used our recently described exercised mdx (ex mdx) mouse model characterised by accelerated heart pathology, and the specific PKCθ inhibitor Compound 20 (C20), to show that inhibition of this kinase leads to a significant reduction in the number of immune cells infiltrating the heart, as well as necrosis and fibrosis. Functionally, C20 treatment also prevented the reduction in left ventricle fractional shortening, which was typically observed in the vehicle-treated ex mdx mice. Based on these findings, we propose that PKCθ pharmacological inhibition could be an attractive therapeutic approach to treating dystrophic cardiomyopathy     

Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by a Modified Titanium Silicalite (TS‐1B)

The hydroxylation of benzene to phenol with hydrogen peroxide was investigated using different solvents and a series of catalysts, obtained by modification of titanium silicalite (TS‐1). The best results were obtained after post‐synthesis treatment of TS‐1 with NH₄HF₂ and H₂O₂. The new catalyst (TS‐1B), used in the presence of a particular co‐solvent (sulfolane) is able to protect the produced phenol from over‐oxidation and dramatically enhanced the selectivity of the reaction.     

Comparison of La-based high-k dielectrics: HfLaSiON and HfLaON

For the first time, we present a comparative study on HfLaSiON and HfLaON gate dielectric with an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 0.8 nm (T_inv = 1.2 nm). A detailed DC analysis of I_on vs. I_off shows HfLaON performs somewhat better than HfLaSiON. However, positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) lifetime of HfLaSiON is higher than HfLaON by about 2 orders of magnitude. On the other hand, hot carrier stress lifetime for HfLaSiON was similar to that of HfLaON. From the activation energy and U-trap, we found that the cause of different threshold voltage (V_T) shifts under PBT stress and detrapping was originated from stable electron traps induced by different charge trapping rates.