ABSTRACT
Analog switching in ferroelectric devices promises neuromorphic computing with the highest energy efficiency if limited device scalability can be overcome. To contribute to a solution, one reports on the ferroelectric switching characteristics of sub-5 nm thin Al0.74 Sc0.26 N films grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2 /Si and epitaxial Pt/GaN/sapphire templates by sputter-deposition. In this context, the study focuses on the following major achievements compared to previously available wurtzite-type ferroelectrics: 1) Record low switching voltages down to 1 V are achieved, which is in a range that can be supplied by standard on-chip voltage sources. 2) Compared to the previously investigated deposition of ultrathin Al1-x Scx N films on epitaxial templates, a significantly larger coercive field (Ec ) to breakdown field ratio is observed for Al0.74 Sc0.26 N films grown on silicon substrates, the technologically most relevant substrate-type. 3) The formation of true ferroelectric domains in wurtzite-type materials is for the first time demonstrated on the atomic scale by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) investigations of a sub-5 nm thin partially switched film. The direct observation of inversion domain boundaries (IDB) within single nm-sized grains supports the theory of a gradual domain-wall driven switching process in wurtzite-type ferroelectrics. Ultimately, this should enable the analog switching necessary for mimicking neuromorphic concepts also in highly scaled devices.
ABSTRACT
The discovery of ferroelectricity in aluminum scandium nitride (Al1-xScxN) opens technological perspectives for harsh environments and space-related memory applications, considering the high-temperature stability of piezoelectricity in aluminum nitride. The ferroelectric and material properties of 100 nm-thick Al0.72Sc0.28N are studied up to 873 K, combining both electrical and in situ X-ray diffraction measurements as well as transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The present work demonstrates that Al0.72Sc0.28N can achieve high switching polarization and tunable coercive fields in a 375 K temperature range from room temperature up to 673 K. The degradation of the ferroelectric properties in the capacitors is observed above this temperature. Reduction of the effective top electrode area and consequent oxidation of the Al0.72Sc0.28N film are mainly responsible for this degradation. A slight variation of the Sc concentration is quantified across grain boundaries, even though its impact on the ferroelectric properties cannot be isolated from those brought by the top electrode deterioration and Al0.72Sc0.28N oxidation. The Curie temperature of Al0.72Sc0.28N is confirmed to be above 873 K, thus corroborating the promising thermal stability of this ferroelectric material. The present results further support the future adoption of Al1-xScxN in memory technologies for harsh environments like applications in space missions.
