Effect of annealing temperature on switching properties in Si-doped HfO2 films

Abstract

The discovery of hafnium oxide-based ferroelectrics has resulted in the pursuit of ferroelectric field-effect transistors with higher scalability, lower power consumption, and enhanced switching speed. An in-depth understanding of ferroelectric polarization switching kinetics is essential for both scientific and technological purposes. Polarization switching is analyzed based on the nucleation-limited switching model with a Lorentzian distribution of logarithmic switching times. The activation field governing the switching kinetics is explained by a dependence on the density of oxygen vacancies, which are caused by various annealing temperatures. This indicates that oxygen vacancies can be a dominant factor in the polarization switching of Si-doped HfO2 films.