Improved Ferroelectric Performance of Mg-Doped LiNbO3 Films by an Ideal Atomic Layer Deposited Al2O3 Tunnel Switch Layer

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 131 - 8
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yan, Ren, Qing Hua, Chai, Xiao Jie, Jiang, Jun, Yang, Jian Guo, Jiang, An Quan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 16.04.2019; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Applications of Atomic Layer Deposition; Atomic layer deposition; Atomic layer epitaxy; Charge injection; Chemistry and Materials Science; Crystal structure; Electric fields; Electric potential; Electrodes; Ferroelectric materials; Ferroelectric memory; Ferroelectricity; Hysteresis loops; Ion slicing; Lithium niobates; Magnesium; Materials Science; Memory devices; Mg-doped LiNbO3; Molecular Medicine; Nano Express; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Scanning electron microscopy; Single crystals; Slicing; Switching; Thickness; Thin films; Tunnel switch; Voltage; Mg-doped LiNbO; Ferroelectric memory; Atomic layer deposition; Ion slicing; Tunnel switch
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/s11671-019-2970-6

Bilayer structures composed of 5% Mg-doped LiNbO 3 single-crystal films and ultrathin Al 2 O 3 layers with thickness ranging from 2 to 6 nm have been fabricated by using ion slicing technique combined with atomic layer deposition method. The transient domain switching current measurement results reveal that the P-V hysteresis loops are symmetry in type II mode with single voltage pulse per cycle, which may be attributed to the built-in electric field formed by asymmetric electrodes and compensation of an internal imprint field. Besides, the inlaid Al 2 O 3 , as an ideal tunnel switch layer, turns on during ferroelectric switching, but closes during the post-switching or non-switching under the applied pulse voltage. The Al 2 O 3 layer blocks the adverse effects such as by-electrode charge injection and improves the fatigue endurance properties of Mg-doped LiNbO 3 ferroelectric capacitors. This study provides a possible way to improve the reliability properties of ferroelectric devices in the non-volatile memory application.