Impact of Read Operation on the Performance of HfO₂-Based Ferroelectric FETs

Abstract

This letter investigates the impact of read operation on the electrical properties of hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs). We report that a quasi-static read may induce a series of phenomena, including a severe underestimation of the memory window, undesirable loss of the stored state, i.e. destructive read, increased variability and an apparent steep-slope behavior with a subthreshold slope lower than 7 mV/decade, which are not present under a fast read. We explain the results with the time-voltage dependence for the ferroelectric switching. Based on this, we provide comprehensive yet essential guidelines for disturb-free write and read operations.