Thickness dependence of ferroelectricity in HfO 2 -based thin film due to the grain size effect
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Compared to traditional perovskite ferroelectric materials, HfO2 has emerged as a prominent research focus due to its ability to retain significant ferroelectricity at the nanoscale. However, systematic studies on its performance in thicker films remain limited, leaving the intrinsic relationship between thickness variation and ferroelectric properties poorly understood. In this work, we successfully fabricated doped HfO2-based ferroelectric thin films with thicknesses spanning tens to hundreds of nanometers. All these films exhibit robust ferroelectric characteristics, and their ferroelectric properties demonstrate a non-monotonic evolution with increasing thickness. Macroscopic electrical measurements and mesoscale domain switching analysis confirmed that the ferroelectric properties of Ce:HfO2 films first diminish and then recover with the increasing of film thickness. By further characterizing the evolution of microscopic structures, we elucidate the thickness effects on the grain size distribution and domain structure evolution. This framework clarifies the physical mechanism underlying the thickness-dependent ferroelectric behavior. Our findings provide critical experimental evidence for developing large-scale HfO2-based ferroelectric devices and lay a theoretical foundation for optimizing thick-film ferroelectric materials for practical applications.
Source: Nano Research
Authors: Jie Luo, Junhui Wang, Xinran Huang, Xinpeng Mu, Tianpeng Duan, Limei Jiang, Yichun Zhou, Qiong Yang, Jiajia Liao, Jie Jiang
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,290
OpenAlex ID: W4411382711