Robust Breakdown Reliability and Improved Endurance in Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Ferroelectric Using Grain Boundary Interruption

Abstract

In this brief, we reported the improved break- down reliability and endurance in 10-nm Hf <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.5</sub> Zr <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.5</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (HZO) using grain boundary interruption. By inserting an amorphous Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> layer in the middle of polycrystalline HZO, grain boundaries penetrating between the electrodes were interrupted. Compared with single-layer HZO [metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM)] and HZO/Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> [metal-ferroelectric-insulator-metal (MFIM)], the ferroelectric/insulator/ferroelectric [metal-ferroelectric-insulator-ferroelectric-metal (MFIFM)] structure exhibited <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> reduction of leakage current, 0.85-V increase of breakdown (BD) voltage ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${T}_{\text {BD}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ), and 0.97-V increase of voltage for 10-year time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) lifetime. Furthermore, >10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">10</sup> endurance was achieved in MFIFM capacitor, which has more than three orders of magnitude improvement than MFM and MFIM capacitor. This work provides an effective way to enhance the reliability of HZO-based ferroelectric devices.