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Abstract We demonstrate a non-volatile field-effect transistor (NVFET) with a 3-nm amorphous HfO2 dielectric that can simulate the synaptic functions under the difference and repetition of gate voltage (V G) pulses. Under 100 ns write/erase (W/E) pulse, a memory window greater than 0.56 V and cycling endurance above 106 are obtained. The storied information as short-term plasticity (STP) in the device has a spiking post-synaptic drain current (I D) that is a response to the V G input pulse and spontaneous decay of I D. A refractory period after the stimuli is observed, during which the I D hardly varies with the V G well-emulating the bio-synapse behavior. Short-term memory to long-term memory transition, paired-pulse facilitation, and post-tetanic potentiation are realized by adjusting the V G pulse waveform and number. The experimental results indicate that the amorphous HfO2 NVFET is a potential candidate for artificial bio-synapse applications.

Abstract Traditional ferroelectric devices suffer a lack of scalability. Doped HfO2 thin film is promising to solve the scaling problem but challenged by high leakage current and uniformity concern by the polycrystalline nature. Stable ferroelectric-like behavior is firstly demonstrated in a 3.6-nm-thick amorphous Al2O3 film. The amorphous Al2O3 devices are highly scalable, which enable multi-gate non-volatile field-effect transistor (NVFET) with nanometer-scale fin pitch. It also possesses the advantages of low process temperature, high frequency (~GHz), wide memory window, and long endurance, suggesting great potential in VLSI systems. The switchable polarization (P) induced by the voltage-modulated oxygen vacancy dipoles is proposed.

Abstract The HfO2-based ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) with a metal/ferroelectric/insulator/semiconductor (MFIS) gate stack is currently being considered as a possible candidate for high-density and fast write speed non-volatile memory. Although the retention performance of the HfO2-based FeFET with a MFIS gate stack could satisfy the requirements for practical applications, its memory window (MW) and reliability with respect to endurance should be further improved. This work investigates the advantage of employing ZrO2 seed layers on the MW, retention, and endurance of the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO)-based FeFETs with MFIS gate stacks, by using fast voltage pulse measurements. It is found that the HZO-based FeFET with a ZrO2 seed layer shows a larger initial and 10-year extrapolated MW, as well as improved endurance performance compared with the HZO-based FeFET without the ZrO2 seed layer. The results indicate that employing of a direct crystalline high-k/Si gate stack would further improve the MW and reliability of the HfO2-based FeFETs.

Abstract We report a novel nanocrystal-embedded-insulator (NEI) ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) with very thin unified-ferroelectric/dielectric (FE/DE) insulating layer, which is promising for low-voltage logic and non-volatile memory (NVM) applications. The ferroelectric nature of the NEI layers comprising orthorhombic ZrO2 nanocrystals embedded in amorphous Al2O3 is proved by polarization voltage measurements, piezoresponse force microscopy, and electrical measurements. The temperature dependent performance and endurance behavior of a NEI negative capacitance FET (NCFET) are investigated. A FeFET with 3.6 nm thick FE/DE achieves a memory window larger than 1 V, paving a pathway for ultimate scaling of FE thickness to enable three-dimensional FeFETs with very small fin pitch.