Use of Noncentrosymmetric Metal Electrodes to Miniaturize Ferroic Devices
- Technology Benefits
- Enhanced miniaturizationof ferroelectric devices (capacitors/transistors)Reduced size of the FEgate dielectric, reduced operative voltage and longer retention times Maintainedferroelectricity
- Detailed Technology Description
- Electrodes that facilitateminiaturization of ferroelectric components with retained stability #semiconductor #memories #transistor#materials #metals
- *Abstract
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Miniaturization is acritical hurdle in improving various electronic components, such asferroelectric capacitors and transistors, which are commonly found in technologiesacross a wide variety of industries. Thus, new materials that enable further miniaturization of electroniccomponents are highly sought and could have broad market impact. A critical issue, however, is the ability tomaintain ferroelectricity when the component size reduces to the nanometerscale. Others have tried to solve thisproblem using large values of strain, tailoring the atomic interface structureof known materials, or suggesting new potentially ferroelectric compounds. However, the integration of ferroelectricoxide films into microelectronic devices, combined with the size reductionconstraints imposed by the semiconductor limits the minimal thickness forferroelectricity. Finding an effectiveand robust route to reduce the critical thickness (before ferroelectricityvanishes) and thus improve ferroelectric stability of ultrathin films is ofcritical importance. Northwesternresearchers have developed a method using noncentrosymmetric metallic (NCSM)electrodes which are made with crystalline metals without inversion symmetry. The NCSM electrodes enable a class ofmaterials to retain its ferroelectric stability despite being ordered in thinlayers. Computational modeling furtherindicates that the material, arranged as a capacitor, would be moreenergetically stable compared to the industry standard in a single unit cellconfiguration, and would therefore be an improvement over standardcompositions. This discovery and strategy allow for aggressive scaleferroelectric capacitors below current dimensional constraints and enables thenext generation of IT equipment such as ultra-high-speed mobile computing,communication devices, and sophisticated sensors.
- *Inventors
- Danilo PuggioniJames Rondinelli*
- Country/Region
- USA
