Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors
Ferroelectric materials provide pathways to higher performance logic and memory technologies, with Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 being the most popular among them. However, critical challenges exist in understanding the material’s failure mechanisms to design long endurance lifetimes. In this work, dielectric failur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | APL Materials |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0248765 |
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| author | Matthew Webb Tony Chiang Megan K. Lenox Jordan Gray Tao Ma Jon F. Ihlefeld John T. Heron |
| author_facet | Matthew Webb Tony Chiang Megan K. Lenox Jordan Gray Tao Ma Jon F. Ihlefeld John T. Heron |
| author_sort | Matthew Webb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ferroelectric materials provide pathways to higher performance logic and memory technologies, with Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 being the most popular among them. However, critical challenges exist in understanding the material’s failure mechanisms to design long endurance lifetimes. In this work, dielectric failure due to repeated switching cycles, occurring through oxygen vacancy motion and leading to the formation of a conductive filament, is demonstrated. A field modified hopping barrier of ∼150–400 meV is observed, indicating a vacancy charge of 0.4–0.6e markedly different from the charge states predicted in the literature. After failure, the capacitor leakage current is high (∼25 mA) and constant with capacitor area, consistent with filament formation. Conductive atomic force microscopy measurements and field distribution simulations suggest a local failure mechanism consistent with filament formation along the boundary of the island capacitor due to an enhanced electric field. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dee0a3bb443543e49dba4754d16cd047 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2166-532X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | APL Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-dee0a3bb443543e49dba4754d16cd0472025-02-03T16:42:31ZengAIP Publishing LLCAPL Materials2166-532X2025-01-01131011114011114-810.1063/5.0248765Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitorsMatthew Webb0Tony Chiang1Megan K. Lenox2Jordan Gray3Tao Ma4Jon F. Ihlefeld5John T. Heron6Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USADepartment of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USADepartment of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USAMichigan Center for Materials Characterization, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USADepartment of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USAFerroelectric materials provide pathways to higher performance logic and memory technologies, with Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 being the most popular among them. However, critical challenges exist in understanding the material’s failure mechanisms to design long endurance lifetimes. In this work, dielectric failure due to repeated switching cycles, occurring through oxygen vacancy motion and leading to the formation of a conductive filament, is demonstrated. A field modified hopping barrier of ∼150–400 meV is observed, indicating a vacancy charge of 0.4–0.6e markedly different from the charge states predicted in the literature. After failure, the capacitor leakage current is high (∼25 mA) and constant with capacitor area, consistent with filament formation. Conductive atomic force microscopy measurements and field distribution simulations suggest a local failure mechanism consistent with filament formation along the boundary of the island capacitor due to an enhanced electric field.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0248765 |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Webb Tony Chiang Megan K. Lenox Jordan Gray Tao Ma Jon F. Ihlefeld John T. Heron Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors APL Materials |
| title | Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| title_full | Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| title_fullStr | Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| title_short | Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| title_sort | conductive filament formation in the failure of hf0 5zr0 5o2 ferroelectric capacitors |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0248765 |
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