Enhanced resistive switching characteristics in Pt/BaTiO3/ITO structures through insertion of HfO2:Al2O3 (HAO) dielectric thin layer

An enhanced resistive switching (RS) effect is observed in Pt/BaTiO3(BTO)/ITO ferroelectric structures when a thin HfO2:Al2O3 (HAO) dielectric layer is inserted between Pt and BTO. The P-E hysteresis loops reveal the ferroelectric nature of both Pt/BTO/ITO and Pt/HAO/BTO/ITO structures. The relation between the RS and the polarization reversal is investigated at various temperatures in the Pt/HAO/BTO/ITO structure. It is found that the polarization reversal induces a barrier variation in the Pt/HAO/BTO interface and causes enhanced RS, which is suppressed at Curie temperature (Tc = 140 °C). Furthermore, the Pt/HAO/BTO/ITO structures show promising endurance characteristics, with a RS ratio >103 after 109 switching cycles, that make them potential candidates for resistive switching memory devices. By combining ferroelectric and dielectric layers this work provides an efficient way for developing highly efficient ferroelectric-based RS memory devices.

[1]  Junqiao Wu,et al.  Strain effects in low-dimensional transition metal oxides , 2011 .

[2]  Ran Jiang,et al.  Ferroelectric-field-effect-enhanced resistance performance of TiN/Si:HfO2/oxygen-deficient HfO2/TiN resistive switching memory cells , 2015 .

[3]  Resistive switching characteristics in dielectric/ferroelectric composite devices improved by post-thermal annealing at relatively low temperature , 2014 .

[4]  S. Alpay,et al.  Influence of thermal stresses on the electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric films , 2011 .

[5]  B. Wessels,et al.  Phase stability of heteroepitaxial polydomain BaTiO_3 thin films , 2007 .

[6]  Y. H. Chen,et al.  Ferroelectric memristive effect in BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films , 2014 .

[7]  Run-Wei Li,et al.  Resistive switching effects in oxide sandwiched structures , 2012, Frontiers of Materials Science.

[8]  C. Jia,et al.  Structural and optical properties of epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films grown on GdScO3(110). , 2003 .

[9]  Jürgen Schubert,et al.  Ferroelectric properties of epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films and heterostructures on different substrates , 2005 .

[10]  Fengyuan Zhang,et al.  Ferroelectric Resistive Switching in High-Density Nanocapacitor Arrays Based on BiFeO3 Ultrathin Films and Ordered Pt Nanoelectrodes. , 2016, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

[11]  Hao Gong,et al.  Suppressed crystallization of Hf-based gate dielectrics by controlled addition of Al2O3 using atomic layer deposition , 2002 .

[12]  Mário Pereira,et al.  Enhanced resistive switching and multilevel behavior in bilayered HfAlO/HfAlOx structures for non-volatile memory applications , 2015 .

[13]  A. Tagantsev,et al.  Identification of Passive Layer in Ferroelectric Thin-Films from Their Switching Parameters , 1995 .

[14]  J. P. B. Silva,et al.  Influence of laser repetition rate on ferroelectric properties of pulsed laser deposited BaTiO3 films on platinized silicon substrate , 2013 .

[15]  P. Freitas,et al.  Tunneling hot spots and heating in magnetic tunnel junctions , 2004 .

[16]  Hiroyuki Yamada,et al.  Resistive switching artificially induced in a dielectric/ferroelectric composite diode , 2013 .

[17]  Rainer Waser,et al.  Method to distinguish ferroelectric from nonferroelectric origin in case of resistive switching in ferroelectric capacitors , 2008 .

[18]  Y. Nishi,et al.  Effects of ZrO2 doping on HfO2 resistive switching memory characteristics , 2014 .

[19]  J. Speck,et al.  Impact of thermal strain on the dielectric constant of sputtered barium strontium titanate thin films , 2002 .

[20]  Jung‐Kun Lee,et al.  Ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films under ion-beam induced strain , 2012 .

[21]  M. Gomes,et al.  On the formation of an interface amorphous layer in nanostructured ferroelectric Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin films integrated on Pt-Si and its effect on the electrical properties , 2013 .

[22]  V. Fridkin,et al.  Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films , 2014 .

[23]  Yue Zheng,et al.  Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films: Growth, Characterization, Physics and Applications , 2014, Materials.

[24]  Tianjin Zhang,et al.  Optimal dielectric thickness for ferroelectric tunnel junctions with a composite barrier , 2012 .

[25]  A. O'Neill,et al.  Ferroelectric properties in thin film barium titanate grown using pulsed laser deposition , 2014 .

[26]  Thomas Mikolajick,et al.  Incipient Ferroelectricity in Al‐Doped HfO2 Thin Films , 2012 .

[27]  W. D. Wang,et al.  Thermal stability of (HfO2)(x)(Al2O3)(1-x) on Si , 2002 .

[28]  Zhiguang Wang,et al.  Current–voltage characterization of epitaxial grown barium titanate thin films on Si substrate , 2015, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics.

[29]  Hyun‐Wook Lee,et al.  Synthesis and Size Control of Tetragonal Barium Titanate Nanopowders by Facile Solvothermal Method , 2012 .

[30]  Van Tyne,et al.  Assessing properties of conventional and specialized materials , 2014 .

[31]  The effect of Cu doping concentration on resistive switching of HfO2 film , 2015 .

[32]  L. Pintilie.  Charge Transport in Ferroelectric Thin Films , 2011 .

[33]  X. S. Gao,et al.  Temperature-dependent and polarization-tuned resistive switching in Au/BiFeO3/SrRuO3 junctions , 2014 .

[34]  K. Jin,et al.  Resistance switching in BaTiO3-δ/Si p-n heterostructure , 2007 .

[35]  Huibin Lu,et al.  Switchable diode effect and ferroelectric resistive switching in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films , 2011 .

[36]  Sergei V. Kalinin,et al.  Modeling and measurement of surface displacements in BaTiO3 bulk material in piezoresponse force microscopy , 2004 .

[37]  Peter J. Hotchkiss,et al.  Tailoring the work function of indium tin oxide electrodes in electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes , 2009 .

[38]  R. K. Kirby.  Platinum—A thermal expansion reference material , 1991 .

[39]  Helen Grampeix,et al.  Resistance switching in HfO2 metal-insulator-metal devices , 2010 .

[40]  Gongping Li,et al.  Electrode dependence of resistive switching in Mn-doped ZnO: Filamentary versus interfacial mechanisms , 2010 .

[41]  D. Jeong,et al.  Emerging memories: resistive switching mechanisms and current status , 2012, Reports on progress in physics. Physical Society.

[42]  Junction characteristics of SrTiO3 or BaTiO3 on p-Si (100) heterostructures , 2006 .

[43]  E. V. Ivanova,et al.  The origin of 2.7 eV luminescence and 5.2 eV excitation band in hafnium oxide , 2014 .

[44]  Andrew G. Glen,et al.  APPL , 2001 .

[45]  Young Do Kim,et al.  Characteristics of hafnium-aluminum-oxide thin films deposited by using atomic layer deposition with various aluminum compositions , 2005 .

[46]  X. Xing,et al.  Large resistive switching and switchable photovoltaic response in ferroelectric doped BiFeO3-based thin films by chemical solution deposition , 2015 .

[47]  R. Vasudevan,et al.  Scaling Behavior of Resistive Switching in Epitaxial Bismuth Ferrite Heterostructures , 2014 .

[48]  J. Bland.  THE THERMAL EXPANSION OF CUBIC BARIUM TITANATE (BaTiO3) FROM 350 °C TO 1050 °C , 1959 .

[49]  M. Gomes,et al.  Semiconductor layer thickness impact on optical and resistive switching behavior of pulsed laser deposited BaTiO3/ZnO heterostructures , 2013 .

[50]  C. Bowen,et al.  Effective elastic properties for unpoled barium titanate , 2007 .

[51]  Finite size and intrinsic field effect on the polar-active properties of ferroelectric-semiconductor heterostructures , 2009, 1001.0121.

[52]  J. A. Moreira,et al.  Effect of Pt bottom electrode texture selection on the tetragonality and physical properties of Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin films produced by pulsed laser deposition , 2012 .

[53]  X. Zhong,et al.  Large resistive switching in Pt/BNT/HfO2/Pt capacitors , 2014 .

[54]  A. Ando,et al.  Orientation-controlled BaTiO3 thin films fabricated by chemical solution deposition , 2015 .

[55]  M. Hashmi,et al.  1.02 – Techniques for Assessing the Properties of Advanced Ceramic Materials , 2014 .