Al2O3插入层对Hf0.5Zr0.5O2薄膜电容器铁电性能的影响

Effect of Al2O3 interlayer on ferroelectric properties of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film capacitors

  • 摘要: 铪锆氧基铁电薄膜与传统互补金属-氧化物-半导体(complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, CMOS)加工工艺兼容,不仅广泛用作芯片的绝缘材料,还因其在10 nm以下厚度仍保持良好的铁电性能,成为新一代铁电存储器的重要候选材料。然而,传统HZO薄膜通常需要高于400 ℃的退火温度才能形成稳定的铁电正交相,这限制了其在CMOS工艺中的应用。本研究在HZO铁电层顶部引入Al2O3插入层,制备了TiN/HZO/Al2O3/TiN/Pt结构的铁电电容器,并系统研究了Al2O3插入层对HZO薄膜铁电性能的影响。结果表明,在350 ℃退火温度下,1 nm厚的Al2O3插入层使器件的二倍剩余极化强度提升了约5倍(达到19.3 μC·cm−2)。此外,该铁电存储器表现出“免唤醒”特性和优异的写擦耐久性(在3.5 MV·cm−1下循环读写次数≥109)。因此,氧化铝插入层不仅提升了器件的剩余极化强度,还降低了矫顽场和退火温度,从而在较低温度下实现了高性能铁电存储。

     

    Abstract: HZO-based ferroelectric thin films exhibit compatibility with traditional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor processing technology. These materials are not only extensively utilized as chip insulating layers but also, due to their remarkable ferroelectric properties even at thicknesses below 10 nm, have emerged as a pivotal candidate for next-generation ferroelectric memory applications. Nevertheless, conventional HZO films generally necessitate high annealing temperatures (exceeding 400 ℃) to stabilize the orthorhombic phase responsible for ferroelectricity, thereby restricting their integration into CMOS processes. In this study, an Al2O3 interlayer was incorporated above the HZO ferroelectric layer, and a TiN/HZO/Al2O3/TiN/Pt ferroelectric capacitor structure was fabricated. The influence of the Al2O3 interlayer on the ferroelectric characteristics of HZO films was investigated systematically. The findings demonstrate that, at an annealing temperature of 350 ℃, a 1 nm thick Al2O3 interlayer enhances the double remanent polarization of the device by approximately fivefold, reaching 19.3 μC·cm−2. Furthermore, this ferroelectric memory device exhibits a "wake-up-free" behavior and demonstrates exceptional write-erase endurance (≥109 cycles at 3.5 MV·cm−1). Consequently, the Al2O3 interlayer serves to augment remanent polarization, reduce the coercive field, and decrease the required annealing temperature, facilitating high-performance ferroelectric memory operation at reduced thermal budgets.

     

/

返回文章
返回