Vanadium-Doped Hafnium Oxide: A High-Endurance Ferroelectric Thin Film with Demonstrated Negative Capacitance
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study proposes and validates a novel CMOS-compatible ferroelectric thin-film insulator made of vanadium-doped hafnium oxide (V:HfO 2 ) by using an optimized atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. Comparative electrical performance analysis of metal–ferroelectric–metal capacitors with varying V-doping concentrations, along with advanced material characterizations, confirmed the ferroelectric behavior and reliability of V:HfO 2 . With remnant polarization ( P r ) values up to 20 μC/cm 2, a coercive field ( E c ) of 1.5 MV/cm, excellent endurance (>10 11 cycles without failure, extrapolated to 10 12 cycles), projected 10-year nonvolatile retention (>100 days measured), and large grain sizes of ∼180 nm, V:HfO 2 emerges as a promising robust candidate for nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic applications. Importantly, negative capacitance (NC) effects were observed and analyzed in V:HfO 2 through pulsed measurements, demonstrating its potential for NC applications. Finally, this novel ferroelectric shows potential as a gating insulator for future 3-terminal vanadium dioxide Mott-insulator devices and sensors, achieved through an all-ALD process.
Source: Nano Letters
Authors: Ehsan Ansari, Niccolò Martinolli, Emeric Hartmann, Anna Varini, Igor Stolichnov, Adrian Mihai Ionescu
Institution: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W4407238585