Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering

Ferroelectric HfO2‐based films incorporated in nonvolatile memory devices offer a low‐energy, high‐speed alternative to conventional memory systems. Oxygen vacancies have been rigorously cited in literature to be pivotal in stabilizing the polar noncentrosymmetric phase responsible for ferroelectric...

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Main Authors: Atif Jan, Stephanie A. Fraser, Taehwan Moon, Yun Seong Lee, Hagyoul Bae, Hyun Jae Lee, Duk‐Hyun Choe, Maximilian T. Becker, Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll, Jinseong Heo, Giuliana Di Martino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2024-11-01
Series:Small Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202400223
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author Atif Jan
Stephanie A. Fraser
Taehwan Moon
Yun Seong Lee
Hagyoul Bae
Hyun Jae Lee
Duk‐Hyun Choe
Maximilian T. Becker
Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll
Jinseong Heo
Giuliana Di Martino
author_facet Atif Jan
Stephanie A. Fraser
Taehwan Moon
Yun Seong Lee
Hagyoul Bae
Hyun Jae Lee
Duk‐Hyun Choe
Maximilian T. Becker
Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll
Jinseong Heo
Giuliana Di Martino
author_sort Atif Jan
collection DOAJ
description Ferroelectric HfO2‐based films incorporated in nonvolatile memory devices offer a low‐energy, high‐speed alternative to conventional memory systems. Oxygen vacancies have been rigorously cited in literature to be pivotal in stabilizing the polar noncentrosymmetric phase responsible for ferroelectricity in HfO2‐based films. Thus, the ability to regulate and control oxygen vacancy migration in operando in such materials would potentially offer step changing new functionalities, tunable electrical properties, and enhanced device lifespan. Herein, a novel in‐ operando approach to control both wake‐up and fatigue device dynamics is reported. Via clever design of short ad hoc square electrical pulses, both wake‐up can be sped up and both fatigue and leakage inside the film can be reduced, key factors for enhancing the performance of memory devices. Using plasmon‐enhanced photoluminescence and dark‐field spectroscopy (sensitive to <1% vacancy variation), evidence that the electrical pulses give rise to oxygen vacancy redistribution is provided and it is shown that pulse engineering effectively delays wake‐up and reduces fatigue characteristics of the HfO2‐based films. Comprehensive analysis also includes impedance spectroscopy measurements, which exclude any influence of polarization reversal or domain wall movement in interpretation of results.
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spelling doaj-art-37d2306da33842e6a1d3cadab241fffe2025-08-20T02:14:10ZengWiley-VCHSmall Science2688-40462024-11-01411n/an/a10.1002/smsc.202400223Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse EngineeringAtif Jan0Stephanie A. Fraser1Taehwan Moon2Yun Seong Lee3Hagyoul Bae4Hyun Jae Lee5Duk‐Hyun Choe6Maximilian T. Becker7Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll8Jinseong Heo9Giuliana Di Martino10Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0FS UKDepartment of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0FS UKDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USASamsung Advanced Institute of Technology Samsung Electronics Suwon‐si 16678 KoreaDepartment of Electronics Engineering Jeonbuk National University Jeonju‐si 54896 KoreaSamsung Advanced Institute of Technology Samsung Electronics Suwon‐si 16678 KoreaSamsung Advanced Institute of Technology Samsung Electronics Suwon‐si 16678 KoreaDepartment of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0FS UKDepartment of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0FS UKSamsung Advanced Institute of Technology Samsung Electronics Suwon‐si 16678 KoreaDepartment of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0FS UKFerroelectric HfO2‐based films incorporated in nonvolatile memory devices offer a low‐energy, high‐speed alternative to conventional memory systems. Oxygen vacancies have been rigorously cited in literature to be pivotal in stabilizing the polar noncentrosymmetric phase responsible for ferroelectricity in HfO2‐based films. Thus, the ability to regulate and control oxygen vacancy migration in operando in such materials would potentially offer step changing new functionalities, tunable electrical properties, and enhanced device lifespan. Herein, a novel in‐ operando approach to control both wake‐up and fatigue device dynamics is reported. Via clever design of short ad hoc square electrical pulses, both wake‐up can be sped up and both fatigue and leakage inside the film can be reduced, key factors for enhancing the performance of memory devices. Using plasmon‐enhanced photoluminescence and dark‐field spectroscopy (sensitive to <1% vacancy variation), evidence that the electrical pulses give rise to oxygen vacancy redistribution is provided and it is shown that pulse engineering effectively delays wake‐up and reduces fatigue characteristics of the HfO2‐based films. Comprehensive analysis also includes impedance spectroscopy measurements, which exclude any influence of polarization reversal or domain wall movement in interpretation of results.https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202400223dark‐field spectroscopiesdomain wall motionsfatiguesHZO ultrathin ferroelectric random‐access memoriesoxygen vacancy migrationsRaman and photoluminescence
spellingShingle Atif Jan
Stephanie A. Fraser
Taehwan Moon
Yun Seong Lee
Hagyoul Bae
Hyun Jae Lee
Duk‐Hyun Choe
Maximilian T. Becker
Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll
Jinseong Heo
Giuliana Di Martino
Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
Small Science
dark‐field spectroscopies
domain wall motions
fatigues
HZO ultrathin ferroelectric random‐access memories
oxygen vacancy migrations
Raman and photoluminescence
title Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
title_full Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
title_fullStr Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
title_full_unstemmed Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
title_short Resetting the Drift of Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrathin HZO Ferroelectric Memories by Electrical Pulse Engineering
title_sort resetting the drift of oxygen vacancies in ultrathin hzo ferroelectric memories by electrical pulse engineering
topic dark‐field spectroscopies
domain wall motions
fatigues
HZO ultrathin ferroelectric random‐access memories
oxygen vacancy migrations
Raman and photoluminescence
url https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202400223
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