In Situ O2 Plasma-Treated HfO2-ZrO2 Superlattice HZO FeRAMs Exhibiting Enhanced Remnant Polarization and Improved Endurance Performance

Dong Ru Hsieh; Zi Yang Hong; Wei Ju Yeh; Jia Chian Ni; Huai En Luo; Yan Kui Liang; Chun Hsiung Lin; Tien Sheng Chao

doi:10.1109/TED.2024.3509401

In Situ O₂ Plasma-Treated HfO₂-ZrO₂ Superlattice HZO FeRAMs Exhibiting Enhanced Remnant Polarization and Improved Endurance Performance

Dong Ru Hsieh, Zi Yang Hong, Wei Ju Yeh, Jia Chian Ni, Huai En Luo, Yan Kui Liang, Chun Hsiung Lin, Tien Sheng Chao^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, HfO₂-ZrO₂ superlattice (SL) HfZrO₂ (HZO) ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs) with various HfO₂/ZrO₂ nanolamination (NL) thicknesses and a 1.5-nm ZrO₂ seed layer were fabricated without and with in situ O₂ plasma treatment to experimentally investigate and discuss their ferroelectricity and endurance performance. Compared with the conventional HZO FeRAMs, the HfO₂-ZrO₂ SL HZO FeRAMs with a HfO₂ and ZrO₂ NL thickness of 1 nm exhibited a higher two remnant polarization (2P_r) of 43.32 μC/cm², nearly wake-up free behavior, stronger fatigue effect immunity, and lower two coercive field (2E_c) of 2.55 MV/cm. Furthermore, by using an in situ O₂ plasma-treated SL HZO thin film for the FeRAMs to greatly suppress the oxygen vacancy generation during cycling, a further improved fatigue effect immunity and significantly reduced pulsed 2P_r degradation rate (Δ2P_r/2P_r,pristine) down to 36.48% after the endurance test of 109 cycles can be achieved because the in situ O₂ plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs possess a significantly enhanced HZO thin-film quality. Therefore, the in situ O₂ plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs are very suitable candidates for embedded nonvolatile memory (eNVM) applications.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	259-265
Number of pages	7
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
Volume	72
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TED.2024.3509401
State	Published - 2025

Keywords

FE random access memory (FeRAM)
Ferroelectric (FE)
HfZrO (HZO)
in situ O plasma treatment
metal-FE-seed layer-metal (MFSM)
postmetal annealing (PMA)
superlattice (SL)

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@article{f3a26b6089614d449b3bebec69a75d93,

title = "In Situ O2 Plasma-Treated HfO2-ZrO2 Superlattice HZO FeRAMs Exhibiting Enhanced Remnant Polarization and Improved Endurance Performance",

abstract = "In this study, HfO2-ZrO2 superlattice (SL) HfZrO2 (HZO) ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs) with various HfO2/ZrO2 nanolamination (NL) thicknesses and a 1.5-nm ZrO2 seed layer were fabricated without and with in situ O2 plasma treatment to experimentally investigate and discuss their ferroelectricity and endurance performance. Compared with the conventional HZO FeRAMs, the HfO2-ZrO2 SL HZO FeRAMs with a HfO2 and ZrO2 NL thickness of 1 nm exhibited a higher two remnant polarization (2Pr) of 43.32 μC/cm2, nearly wake-up free behavior, stronger fatigue effect immunity, and lower two coercive field (2Ec) of 2.55 MV/cm. Furthermore, by using an in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO thin film for the FeRAMs to greatly suppress the oxygen vacancy generation during cycling, a further improved fatigue effect immunity and significantly reduced pulsed 2Pr degradation rate (Δ2Pr/2Pr,pristine) down to 36.48% after the endurance test of 109 cycles can be achieved because the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs possess a significantly enhanced HZO thin-film quality. Therefore, the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs are very suitable candidates for embedded nonvolatile memory (eNVM) applications.",

keywords = "FE random access memory (FeRAM), Ferroelectric (FE), HfZrO (HZO), in situ O plasma treatment, metal-FE-seed layer-metal (MFSM), postmetal annealing (PMA), superlattice (SL)",

author = "Hsieh, {Dong Ru} and Hong, {Zi Yang} and Yeh, {Wei Ju} and Ni, {Jia Chian} and Luo, {Huai En} and Liang, {Yan Kui} and Lin, {Chun Hsiung} and Chao, {Tien Sheng}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 1963-2012 IEEE.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/TED.2024.3509401",

language = "English",

volume = "72",

pages = "259--265",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices",

issn = "0018-9383",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - In Situ O2 Plasma-Treated HfO2-ZrO2 Superlattice HZO FeRAMs Exhibiting Enhanced Remnant Polarization and Improved Endurance Performance

AU - Hsieh, Dong Ru

AU - Hong, Zi Yang

AU - Yeh, Wei Ju

AU - Ni, Jia Chian

AU - Luo, Huai En

AU - Liang, Yan Kui

AU - Lin, Chun Hsiung

AU - Chao, Tien Sheng

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - In this study, HfO2-ZrO2 superlattice (SL) HfZrO2 (HZO) ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs) with various HfO2/ZrO2 nanolamination (NL) thicknesses and a 1.5-nm ZrO2 seed layer were fabricated without and with in situ O2 plasma treatment to experimentally investigate and discuss their ferroelectricity and endurance performance. Compared with the conventional HZO FeRAMs, the HfO2-ZrO2 SL HZO FeRAMs with a HfO2 and ZrO2 NL thickness of 1 nm exhibited a higher two remnant polarization (2Pr) of 43.32 μC/cm2, nearly wake-up free behavior, stronger fatigue effect immunity, and lower two coercive field (2Ec) of 2.55 MV/cm. Furthermore, by using an in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO thin film for the FeRAMs to greatly suppress the oxygen vacancy generation during cycling, a further improved fatigue effect immunity and significantly reduced pulsed 2Pr degradation rate (Δ2Pr/2Pr,pristine) down to 36.48% after the endurance test of 109 cycles can be achieved because the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs possess a significantly enhanced HZO thin-film quality. Therefore, the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs are very suitable candidates for embedded nonvolatile memory (eNVM) applications.

AB - In this study, HfO2-ZrO2 superlattice (SL) HfZrO2 (HZO) ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs) with various HfO2/ZrO2 nanolamination (NL) thicknesses and a 1.5-nm ZrO2 seed layer were fabricated without and with in situ O2 plasma treatment to experimentally investigate and discuss their ferroelectricity and endurance performance. Compared with the conventional HZO FeRAMs, the HfO2-ZrO2 SL HZO FeRAMs with a HfO2 and ZrO2 NL thickness of 1 nm exhibited a higher two remnant polarization (2Pr) of 43.32 μC/cm2, nearly wake-up free behavior, stronger fatigue effect immunity, and lower two coercive field (2Ec) of 2.55 MV/cm. Furthermore, by using an in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO thin film for the FeRAMs to greatly suppress the oxygen vacancy generation during cycling, a further improved fatigue effect immunity and significantly reduced pulsed 2Pr degradation rate (Δ2Pr/2Pr,pristine) down to 36.48% after the endurance test of 109 cycles can be achieved because the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs possess a significantly enhanced HZO thin-film quality. Therefore, the in situ O2 plasma-treated SL HZO FeRAMs are very suitable candidates for embedded nonvolatile memory (eNVM) applications.

KW - FE random access memory (FeRAM)

KW - Ferroelectric (FE)

KW - HfZrO (HZO)

KW - in situ O plasma treatment

KW - metal-FE-seed layer-metal (MFSM)

KW - postmetal annealing (PMA)

KW - superlattice (SL)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212000064&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1109/TED.2024.3509401

DO - 10.1109/TED.2024.3509401

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85212000064

SN - 0018-9383

VL - 72

SP - 259

EP - 265

JO - IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

JF - IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

IS - 1

ER -

In Situ O₂ Plasma-Treated HfO₂-ZrO₂ Superlattice HZO FeRAMs Exhibiting Enhanced Remnant Polarization and Improved Endurance Performance

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