Size-Scaling Effect on Domain Switching Time and Coercive Field of TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN Thin-Film Capacitors

The measurements of high-frequency dielectric displacement-electric field hysteresis loops show the continuous reduction of the apparent coercive field upon the lateral size shrinkage of TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN thin-film capacitors. Subsequent measurements of capacitor discharging current transients show the presence of high resistance of an interfacial layer between Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) and TiN that increases the apparent coercive field significantly for a fast-operating memory. However, the resistance reduces almost linearly upon the size shrinkage, enabling the apparent coercive field reduction from 4.7 to 1.6 mV/cm for the capacitors in sizes ranging from 500 to 14 nm at an operation time of 1 ns. The reduced coercive field can lower operation voltages and improve the cycling number of the memory significantly before the occurrence of dielectric breakdown.