Switching dynamics and modeling of multi-domain Zr-Doped HfO2 ferroelectric thin films

Abstract

HfO2-based ferroelectrics have attracted attention as promising materials for advanced memory applications owing to their negative capacitance effect, high scalability, and full-CMOS compatibility. Accordingly, the switching dynamics of HfO2 thin films have been actively discussed and simulated using the Landau-Khalatnikov equation (LK model). Although the simulated results agree with experimental results in many studies, there is a slight dissimilarity near the coercive field in the polarization-electric field curve. For accurate and general modeling, a new model that combines the conventional LK model and Euler's equation was proposed in this work. The model was examined under single-domain and multi-domain conditions. The simulated curves using the Landau-Euler method better fit with measured curves than those using the LK model.