Performance Improvement by Modifying Deposition Temperature in HfZrO<sub>
                     <i>x</i>
                  </sub> Ferroelectric Memory

Chen, Wen-Chung; Tan, Yung‐Fang; Lin, Shih‐Kai; Zhang, Yong‐Ci; Chang, Kai‐Chun; Lin, Yun-Hsuan; Yeh, Chien‐Hung; Wu, Chang-Mou; Yeh, Yu‐Hsuan; Wang, Kao-Yuan; Huang, Hui‐Chun; Tsai, Tsung‐Ming; Huang, Jen‐Wei; Chang, Ting‐Chang

doi:10.1109/ted.2021.3093256

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Moreover, Chen et al compared the effect of high-temperature ALD (300 °C) and low-temperature ALD (200 °C) on grain size, demonstrating that the low-temperature deposition process brings profitable gains in polarization value, breakdown voltage, and frequency response. 60 The average grain radius could also be reduced from 16.6 to 13.0 nm by changing the ALD cycle ratio (from 1:1 ratio to 5:5 ratio), because of more crystal nuclei brought by the lower crystallization temperature of ZrO 2 compared with that of HfO 2 . 61 Recently, the ferroelectricity of sub-10 nm diameter HfO 2 nanodots has also been verified.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Chen et al experimentally studied the effects of the annealing process (annealing temperature and annealing time) on the grain size, furthering accurate modulation of HZO thin films ferroelectric properties from 5 to 25 μC/cm 2 . Moreover, Chen et al compared the effect of high-temperature ALD (300 °C) and low-temperature ALD (200 °C) on grain size, demonstrating that the low-temperature deposition process brings profitable gains in polarization value, breakdown voltage, and frequency response . The average grain radius could also be reduced from 16.6 to 13.0 nm by changing the ALD cycle ratio (from 1:1 ratio to 5:5 ratio), because of more crystal nuclei brought by the lower crystallization temperature of ZrO 2 compared with that of HfO 2 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films

Wang

Wen

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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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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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films

Wang

Wen

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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“…The trend of the polarization characteristics according to the deposition temperature is thought to be related to an increase in defects inside the HZO thin films deposited at low and high temperatures, as discussed above. These defects can limit the growth of the grain size and cause pinning of the switching of the ferroelectric domain under the external electric field [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Process Temperature on Density and Electrical Characteristics of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

et al. 2022

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HfxZr1−xO2 (HZO) thin films have excellent potential for application in various devices, including ferroelectric transistors and semiconductor memories. However, such applications are hindered by the low remanent polarization (Pr) and fatigue endurance of these films. To overcome these limitations, in this study, HZO thin films were fabricated via plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), and the effects of the deposition and post-annealing temperatures on the density, crystallinity, and electrical properties of the thin films were analyzed. The thin films obtained via PEALD were characterized using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. An HZO thin film deposited at 180 °C exhibited the highest o-phase proportion as well as the highest density. By contrast, mixed secondary phases were observed in a thin film deposited at 280 °C. Furthermore, a post-annealing temperature of 600 °C yielded the highest thin film density, and the highest 2Pr value and fatigue endurance were obtained for the film deposited at 180 °C and post-annealed at 600 °C. In addition, we developed three different methods to further enhance the density of the films. Consequently, an enhanced maximum density and exceptional fatigue endurance of 2.5 × 107 cycles were obtained.

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“…In addition, previous studies have indicated that grain boundaries are responsible for leakage current. 33) Figure 2(c) shows that leakage current is significantly suppressed, which indicates that part of the grain boundaries was eliminated by the X-ray irradiation. Figures 2(b) and 2(d), however, show that there is no obvious improvement in Pr and suppression in leakage under high V acc X-ray irradiation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…23,[27][28][29][30][31] The research also indicates that doping Zr elements into HfO 2 can lower the annealing temperature to form a ferroelectric phase. 25,[32][33][34][35][36] In addition, some studies have indicated that the electrode material of the FeRAM has a significant impact on its properties. 37,38) Because of their similar lattice constants, TaN has a good match with HZO, which indicates that the HZO layer can have better quality and a higher Pr value.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of X-ray accelerating voltage on electrical properties and reliability for ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM)

Lin¹,

Chang²,

Chen³

et al. 2022

Appl. Phys. Express

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This work investigates the effect of X-ray accelerating voltage (Vacc) on structural repair of HfZrOx ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM). We found that X-rays are able to break the molecular bonds due to missing electrons, thereby repairing the material structure. To further understand the influence of X-ray Vacc on structural repair, we conducted different Vacc conditions, with results showing that there is only a small improvement under high Vacc. However, the improvement is much clearer under low Vacc. To illuminate these results, we propose a physical model which is based on different X-ray energies will have different energy penetration capacities.

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Performance Improvement by Modifying Deposition Temperature in HfZrO_x Ferroelectric Memory

Cited by 8 publications

References 27 publications

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films

Effect of Process Temperature on Density and Electrical Characteristics of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Effects of X-ray accelerating voltage on electrical properties and reliability for ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM)

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Performance Improvement by Modifying Deposition Temperature in HfZrO x Ferroelectric Memory

Cited by 8 publications

References 27 publications

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films

Effect of Process Temperature on Density and Electrical Characteristics of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Effects of X-ray accelerating voltage on electrical properties and reliability for ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM)

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Performance Improvement by Modifying Deposition Temperature in HfZrO_x Ferroelectric Memory

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films

Understanding the Effect of Top Electrode on Ferroelectricity in Atomic Layer Deposited Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Thin Films