Ferroelectric Hafnium Oxide Based Materials and Devices: Assessment of Current Status and Future Prospects

TLDR

FRAM suffers from limited CMOS compatibility and scaling, yet it still outperforms other non‑volatile memories in low‑voltage operation, and the emergence of HfO₂‑based ferroelectricity offers a scalable, manufacturable alternative for future 1T and 1T‑1C memories. This paper reviews recent progress in HfO₂‑based ferroelectric memories, critically assesses their current and future potential, and proposes suitable memory concepts and new applications. The review examines how engineering ferroelectricity in HfO₂ enables improved manufacturability, discusses memory concepts, and presents an empirical description of ferroelectric stabilization to guide dopant selection and alternative stabilization mechanisms. The empirical description of ferroelectric stabilization in HfO₂ suggests additional dopants and alternative stabilization mechanisms for future device optimization.

Abstract

Bound to complex perovskite systems, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) suffers from limited CMOS-compatibility and faces severe scaling issues in today's and future technology nodes. Nevertheless, compared to its current-driven non-volatile memory contenders, the field-driven FRAM excels in terms of low voltage operation and power consumption and therewith has managed to claim embedded as well as stand-alone niche markets. However, in order to overcome this restricted field of application, a material innovation is needed. With the ability to engineer ferroelectricity in HfO2, a high-k dielectric well established in memory and logic devices, a new material choice for improved manufacturability and scalability of future 1T and 1T-1C ferroelectric memories has emerged. This paper reviews the recent progress in this emerging field and critically assesses its current and future potential. Suitable memory concepts as well as new applications will be proposed accordingly. Moreover, an empirical description of the ferroelectric stabilization in HfO2 will be given, from which additional dopants as well as alternative stabilization mechanism for this phenomenon can be derived.