Endurance and Data Retention Characteristics of 0.15 μm EEPROM cells

Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) has wide applications in consumer electronics, automotive electronics, and other electronic systems. In this work, we construct an accurate model to simulate the process and electrical properties of the memory cell, and the results fit well with the measured results. We propose a simple model to reveal the effects of the floating gate area, the tunnel oxide layer area, and the width of the active region on the memory window in the EEPROM cell structure. Various cell structures with different sizes are designed and fabricated to verify the proposed model. The model has high accuracy in predicting the performance of the device. Furthermore, we investigate the reliability of the memory cell by measuring the variations in the threshold voltage. Endurance and data retention are important indicators of EEPROM cell reliability. The program/erase cycling experiment was conducted to test the endurance of the memory cell, and the high-temperature baking experiment was used to test its data retention characteristics. Based on the experimental data, the durability life model and the degradation model of data retention characteristics are established, and the influence of cycle times and baking time on threshold voltage degradation is studied.