journal article·2021-11-03

Wake-up Free Ferroelectric Rhombohedral Phase in Epitaxially Strained ZrO2 Thin Films

José P. B. Silva, Raluca F. Negrea, Marian C. Istrate, Sangita Dutta, Hugo Aramberri, Jorge Íñiguez, Fábio G. Figueiras, Corneliu Ghica, Koppole C. Sekhar, Andrei L. Kholkin

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces· Volume 13· Issue 43
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Abstract

Zirconia- and hafnia-based thin films have attracted tremendous attention in the past decade because of their unexpected ferroelectric behavior at the nanoscale, which enables the downscaling of ferroelectric devices. The present work reports an unprecedented ferroelectric rhombohedral phase of ZrO2 that can be achieved in thin films grown directly on (111)-Nb:SrTiO3 substrates by ion-beam sputtering. Structural and ferroelectric characterizations reveal (111)-oriented ZrO2 films under epitaxial compressive strain exhibiting switchable ferroelectric polarization of about 20.2 μC/cm2 with a coercive field of 1.5 MV/cm. Moreover, the time-dependent polarization reversal characteristics of Nb:SrTiO3/ZrO2/Au film capacitors exhibit typical bell-shaped curve features associated with the ferroelectric domain reversal and agree well with the nucleation limited switching (NLS) model. The polarization-electric field hysteresis loops point to an activation field comparable to the coercive field. Interestingly, the studied films show ferroelectric behavior per se, without the need to apply the wake-up cycle found in the orthorhombic phase of ZrO2. Overall, the rhombohedral ferroelectric ZrO2 films present technological advantages over the previously studied zirconia- and hafnia-based thin films and may be attractive for nanoscale ferroelectric devices.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices · Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials · MXene and MAX Phase Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Centre of Physics of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP), Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal

National Institute of Materials Physics, 105 bisAtomistilor, Magurele 077125, Romania

BCAST, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom

Materials Research and Technology Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxemburg

Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, Rue du Brill 41, Belvaux L-4422, Luxembourg

IFIMUP & Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sciences Faculty, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, Porto 4169-007, Portugal

Department of Physics, School of Basic and Applied Science, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur 610 101, India

Department of Physics, CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal

Funding

Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology · Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg · European Commission · Ministerul Educa?iei ?i Cercetarii ?tiin?ifice · Minist??rio da Educa????o e Ci??ncia · Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the RF

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