Programming Characteristics on Three-Dimensional NAND Flash Structure Using Edge Fringing Field Effect

Abstract

The three-dimensional (3-D) NAND flash structure with fully charge storage using edge fringing field effect is presented, and its programming characteristic is evaluated. We successfully confirmed that this structure using fringing field effect provides good program characteristics showing sufficient threshold voltage (V-T) margin by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. From the simulation results, we expect that program speed characteristics of proposed structure have competitive compared to other 3D NAND flash structure. Moreover, it is estimated that this structural feature using edge fringing field effect gives better design scalability compared to the conventional 3D NAND flash structures by scaling of the hole size for the vertical channel. As a result, the proposed structure is one of the candidates of Terabit 3D vertical NAND flash cell with lower bit cost and design scalability.