Switching quality of thin-film PZT ferroelectric capacitors

Abstract

The switching quality of PZT thin-film ferroelectric capacitors was studied, using hysteresis and pulse switching measurements. The ferroelectric properties of epitaxial Pt/PZT/LSCO/MgO capacitors are strongly affected by the LSCO material. A strong deviation between hysteresis and pulse measurements has been observed for one type of LSCO, corresponding to a strong relaxation of (oxygen-vacancy) space charge polarization. On the other hand, polycrystalline Pt/PZT/Pt show very rectangular hysteresis loops with high P-r and pulse measurements reveal high speed switching and absence of rapid depolarization effects. These results prove the very high switching quality of Pt/PZT/Pt capacitors, required for their application as non-volatile memory elements.