Memory characteristics of Co nanocrystal memory device with HfO₂ as blocking oxide

In this letter, the Co nanocrystals using SiO₂ and HfO ₂ as the tunneling and the control dielectric with memory effect has been fabricated. A significant memory effect was observed through the electrical measurements. Under the low voltage operation of 5 V, the memory window was estimated to - 1 V. The retention characteristics were tested to be robust. Also, the endurance of the memory device was not degraded up to 106 write/erase cycles. The processing of the structure is compatible with the current manufacturing technology of semiconductor industry.