In this article, we reported a metal-oxide-high-k-oxide-silicon (MOHOS)-type memory structure fabricating a high-k Lu2O3 film as a charge trapping layer for flash memory applications. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the structural and chemical features of these films after they had been subjected to annealing at various temperatures. The high-k Lu2O3 MOHOS-type devices annealed at 800 degrees C exhibited a larger threshold voltage shift (memory window of similar to 2.93V operated at V-g = 9 V at 1 s) and better data retention (charge loss of similar to 18% measured time up to 10(4) s) than that had been subjected to other annealing conditions. This result suggests the higher probability for trapping of the charge carrier due to the formation of the crystallized Lu2O3 with a high dielectric constant of 12.8. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.