Depolarization Field in Ferroelectric Nonvolatile Memory Considering Minor Loop Operation

This letter investigates the depolarization field in a metal-ferroelectric-metal-insulator-metal (MFMIM) nonvolatile memory (NVM) considering the minor hysteresis loop operation. Our study indicates that, different from previous studies merely considering the major loop operation, the depolarization field for the ferroelectric undergoing the minor loop increases with decreasing oxide thickness. In other words, in addition to suppressing the gate leakage, thicker oxide thickness is favorable to lower the depolarization field and improves the retention for a given memory window (MW). This letter may provide insights for device design of ferroelectric nonvolatile memories.