Polarization dynamics of the ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide thin-film capacitor during the relaxation process

Abstract

We simulated the polarization dynamics of a ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide thin-film capacitor during the relaxation process. The simulation results exhibited good agreement with the observed voltage transient behavior and predictions from the nucleation-limited-switching model. Although the capacitor achieved a comparable polarization distribution after the relaxation process, the pathways to reach the static state differed for the different writing signals. Specifically, writing signals with higher amplitude result in more complex polarization domain structures just after the signal is turned off. Analysis of the relaxation process revealed that the dielectric component dominated the early stage, whereas domain-wall motion became more dominant in the later stage. These insights into the polarization relaxation dynamics will contribute to improvements in the operational speed and reliability of ferroelectric devices. © 2025 Author(s).