Abstract
The charge trapping properties of HfO2 thin films for application in charge trap memories are investigated as a function of high-temperature postdeposition annealing (PDA) and oxide thickness in the TaN/Al2O3/HfO2/SiO2/Si structure. The trap density (NT) in HfO2, extracted by simulating the programming transient, is in the 1019–1020 cm-3 range, and it is related to film thickness and PDA temperature. Diffusion phenomena in the stack play a significant role in modifying NT in HfO2 and the insulating properties of the Al2O3 layer. The memory performances for 1030 °C PDA are promising with respect to standard stacks featuring Si3N4.