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Qin H, He N, Han C, Zhang M, Wang Y, Hu R, Wu J, Shao W, Saadi M, Zhang H, Hu Y, Liu Y, Wang X, Tong Y. Perspectives of Ferroelectric Wurtzite AlScN: Material Characteristics, Preparation, and Applications in Advanced Memory Devices. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:986. [PMID: 38869611 PMCID: PMC11173796 DOI: 10.3390/nano14110986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Ferroelectric, phase-change, and magnetic materials are considered promising candidates for advanced memory devices. Under the development dilemma of traditional silicon-based memory devices, ferroelectric materials stand out due to their unique polarization properties and diverse manufacturing techniques. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of ferroelectricity, scandium-doped aluminum nitride, which is a different wurtzite structure, was reported to be ferroelectric with a larger coercive, remanent polarization, curie temperature, and a more stable ferroelectric phase. The inherent advantages have attracted widespread attention, promising better performance when used as data storage materials and better meeting the needs of the development of the information age. In this paper, we start from the characteristics and development history of ferroelectric materials, mainly focusing on the characteristics, preparation, and applications in memory devices of ferroelectric wurtzite AlScN. It compares and analyzes the unique advantages of AlScN-based memory devices, aiming to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of advanced memory devices in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiming Qin
- College of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (H.Q.); (C.H.); (Y.L.)
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Nan He
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cong Han
- College of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (H.Q.); (C.H.); (Y.L.)
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Miaocheng Zhang
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Rui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China;
| | - Jiawen Wu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China;
| | - Weijing Shao
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Mohamed Saadi
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Hao Zhang
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Youde Hu
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yi Liu
- College of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (H.Q.); (C.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xinpeng Wang
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yi Tong
- Gusu Laboratory of Materials, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou 215123, China; (N.H.); (M.Z.); (Y.W.); (W.S.); (M.S.); (H.Z.); (Y.H.)
- The Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
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Li YC, Huang T, Li XX, Zhu XN, Zhang DW, Lu HL. Domain Switching Characteristics in Ga-Doped HfO 2 Ferroelectric Thin Films with Low Coercive Field. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:6585-6591. [PMID: 38785400 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The gallium-doped hafnium oxide (Ga-HfO2) films with different Ga doping concentrations were prepared by adjusting the HfO2/Ga2O3 atomic layer deposition cycle ratio for high-speed and low-voltage operation in HfO2-based ferroelectric memory. The Ga-HfO2 ferroelectric films reveal a finely modulated coercive field (Ec) from 1.1 (HfO2/Ga2O3 = 32:1) to an exceptionally low 0.6 MV/cm (HfO2/Ga2O3 = 11:1). This modulation arises from the competition between domain nucleation and propagation speed during polarization switching, influenced by the intrinsic domain density and phase dispersion in the film with specific Ga doping concentrations. Higher Ec samples exhibit a nucleation-dominant switching mechanism, while lower Ec samples undergo a transition from a nucleation-dominant to a propagation-dominant reversal mechanism as the electric field increases. This work introduces Ga as a viable dopant for low Ec and offers insights into material design strategies for HfO2-based ferroelectric memory applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Li
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Teng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiao-Xi Li
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiao-Na Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Jiashan Fudan Institute, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province 314100, China
| | - David Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Jiashan Fudan Institute, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province 314100, China
| | - Hong-Liang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics & Systems, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Jiashan Fudan Institute, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province 314100, China
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Yoon J, Choi Y, Shin C. Grain-size adjustment in Hf 0.5Zr 0.5O 2ferroelectric film to improve the switching time in Hf 0.5Zr 0.5O 2-based ferroelectric capacitor. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 35:135203. [PMID: 37939482 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad0af8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
By adjusting the rising time in annealing ferroelectric HfO2-based films, the grain size of the film can be controlled. In this study, we found that increasing the rising time from 10 to 30 s at an annealing temperature of 700 °C in N2atmosphere resulted in improved ferroelectric switching speed. This is because the larger grain size reduces the internal resistance components, such as the grain bulk resistance and grain boundary resistance, of the HZO film. This in turn lowers the overall equivalent resistance. By minimizing the RC time constants, increasing the grain size plays a key role in improving the polarization switching speed of ferroelectric films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeong Yoon
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejoo Choi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhwan Shin
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Kim IJ, Lee JS. Ferroelectric Transistors for Memory and Neuromorphic Device Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2206864. [PMID: 36484488 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202206864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Ferroelectric materials have been intensively investigated for high-performance nonvolatile memory devices in the past decades, owing to their nonvolatile polarization characteristics. Ferroelectric memory devices are expected to exhibit lower power consumption and higher speed than conventional memory devices. However, non-complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility and degradation due to fatigue of traditional perovskite-based ferroelectric materials have hindered the development of high-density and high-performance ferroelectric memories in the past. The recently developed hafnia-based ferroelectric materials have attracted immense attention in the development of advanced semiconductor devices. Because hafnia is typically used in CMOS processes, it can be directly incorporated into current semiconductor technologies. Additionally, hafnia-based ferroelectrics show high scalability and large coercive fields that are advantageous for high-density memory devices. This review summarizes the recent developments in ferroelectric devices, especially ferroelectric transistors, for next-generation memory and neuromorphic applications. First, the types of ferroelectric memories and their operation mechanisms are reviewed. Then, issues limiting the realization of high-performance ferroelectric transistors and possible solutions are discussed. The experimental demonstration of ferroelectric transistor arrays, including 3D ferroelectric NAND and its operation characteristics, are also reviewed. Finally, challenges and strategies toward the development of next-generation memory and neuromorphic applications based on ferroelectric transistors are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ik-Jyae Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang-Sik Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
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Wang X, Wen Y, Wu M, Cui B, Wu YS, Li Y, Li X, Ye S, Ren P, Ji ZG, Lu HL, Wang R, Zhang DW, Huang R. Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf 0.5Zr 0.5O 2 Thin Films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:15657-15667. [PMID: 36926843 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c22263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
It is commonly believed that the impact of the top electrodes on the ferroelectricity of hafnium-based thin films is due to strain engineering. However, several anomalies have occurred that put existing theories in doubt. This work carries out a detailed study of this issue using both theoretical and experimental approaches. The 10 nm Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) films are prepared by atomic layer deposition, and three different top capping electrodes (W/MO/ITO) are deposited by physical vapor deposition. The electrical testing finds that the strain does not completely control the ferroelectricity of the devices. The results of further piezoelectric force microscopy characterization exclude the potential interference of the top capping electrodes and interface for electrical testing. In addition, through atomic force microscopy characterization and statistical analysis, a strong correlation between the grain size of the top electrode and the grain size of the HZO film has been found, suggesting that the grain size of the top electrode can induce the formation of the grain size in HZO thin films. Finally, the first-principles calculation is carried out to understand the impact of the strain and grain size on the ferroelectric properties of HZO films. The results show that the strain is the dominant factor for ferroelectricity when the grain size is large (>10 nm). However, when the grain size becomes thinner (<10 nm), the regulation effect of grain sizes increases significantly, which could bring a series of benefits for device scaling, such as device-to-device variations, film uniformity, and domain switch consistency. This work not only completes the understanding of ferroelectricity through top electrode modulation but also provides strong support for the precise regulation of ferroelectricity of nanoscale devices and ultrathin HZO ferroelectric films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuepei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yichen Wen
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Maokun Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Boyao Cui
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yi-Shan Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yuchun Li
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaoxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Sheng Ye
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Pengpeng Ren
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Ji
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hong-Liang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Runsheng Wang
- School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - David Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Electronics and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ru Huang
- School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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