Hafnium oxide is widely used for resistive switching devices, and recently it has been discovered that ferroelectricity can be established in (un-)doped hafnium oxide as well. Previous studies showed that both switching mechanisms are influenced by oxygen vacancies. For resistive switching, typically amorphous oxide layers with an asymmetric electrode configuration are used to create a gradient of oxygen vacancies. On the other hand, ferroelectric switching is performed by having symmetric electrodes and requires crystalline structures. The coexistence of both effects has recently been demonstrated. In this work, a detailed analysis of the reversible interplay of both switching mechanisms within a single capacitor cell is investigated. First, ferroelectric switching cycles were applied in order to drive the sample into the fatigued stage characterized by increased concentration of oxygen vacancies in the oxide layer. Afterwards, a forming step that is typical for the resistive switching devices was utilized to achieve a soft breakdown. In the next step, twofold alternation between the high and low resistance state is applied to demonstrate the resistive switching behavior of the device. Having the sample in the high resistance state with a ruptured filament, ferroelectric switching behavior is again shown within the same stack. Interestingly, the same endurance as before was observed without a hard breakdown of the device. Therefore, an effective sequence of ferroelectric—resistive—ferroelectric switching is realized. Additionally, the dependence of the forming, set, and reset voltage on the ferroelectric cycling stage (pristine, woken-up and fatigued) is analyzed giving insight into the physical device operation.

Manifold research has been done to understand the detailed mechanisms behind the performance instabilities of ferroelectric capacitors based on hafnia. The wake-up together with the imprint might be the most controversially discussed phenomena so far. Among crystallographic phase change contributions and oxygen vacancy diffusion, electron trapping as the origin has been discussed recently. In this publication, we provide evidence that the imprint is indeed caused by electron trapping into deep states at oxygen vacancies. This impedes the ferroelectric switching and causes a shift of the hysteresis. Moreover, we show that the wake-up mechanism can be caused by a local imprint of the domains in the pristine state by the very same root cause. The various domain orientations together with an electron trapping can cause a constriction of the hysteresis and an internal bias field in the pristine state. Additionally, we show that this local imprint can even cause almost anti-ferroelectric like behavior in ferroelectric films.

In this report, the operation of a normally-off vertical gallium nitride (GaN) metal-oxide field effect transistor with a threshold voltage of 5 V is demonstrated. A crucial step during device fabrication is the formation of the highly n-doped source layer. The authors infer that the use of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is highly beneficial for suppressing diffusion of the magnesium (Mg) p-type dopants from the body layer grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy into the source cap. Repassivation of the previously activated Mg acceptors by a hydrogen out-diffusion treatment is suppressed in the ultrahigh vacuum growth environment. Structural and electrical data indicate that the defect density of the GaN substrate is currently limiting device performance much more compared to other effects like varying surface morphology resulting from fluctuations in III/N stoichiometry during the MBE growth.

III-valent dopants have shown to be most effective in stabilizing the ferroelectric, crystalline phase in atomic layer deposited, polycrystalline HfO₂ thin films. On the other hand, such dopants are commonly used for tetragonal and cubic phase stabilization in ceramic HfO₂. This difference in the impact has not been elucidated so far. The prospect is a suitable doping to produce ferroelectric HfO₂ ceramics with a technological impact. In this paper, we investigate the impact of Al, Y, and La doping, which have experimentally proven to stabilize the ferroelectric Pca21 phase in HfO₂, in a comprehensive first-principles study. Density functional theory calculations reveal the structure, formation energy, and total energy of various defects in HfO₂. Most relevant are substitutional electronically compensated defects without oxygen vacancy, substitutional mixed compensated defects paired with a vacancy, and ionically compensated defect complexes containing two substitutional dopants paired with a vacancy. The ferroelectric phase is strongly favored with La and Y in the substitutional defect. The mixed compensated defect favors the ferroelectric phase as well, but the strongly favored cubic phase limits the concentration range for ferroelectricity. We conclude that a reduction of oxygen vacancies should significantly enhance this range in Y doped HfO₂ thin films. With Al, the substitutional defect hardly favors the ferroelectric phase before the tetragonal phase becomes strongly favored with the increasing concentration. This could explain the observed field induced ferroelectricity in Al-doped HfO₂. Further Al defects are investigated, but do not favor the f-phase such that the current explanation remains incomplete for Al doping. According to the simulation, doping alone shows clear trends, but is insufficient to replace the monoclinic phase as the ground state. To explain this fact, some other mechanism is needed.

The ensuring of reliability of piezoelectric thin films is crucial for a successful piezoelectric micro-electromechanical system (piezoMEMS) application. One of the most important limiting factors for reliability is resistance degradation, where the leakage current increases over time under electrical load. The understanding of resistance degradation in piezoelectric thin films requires knowledge about point defects inside the materials. In this dissertation, the resistance degradation mechanism in sputtered lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and lead-free alternative sodium potassium niobate (KNN) thin films is studied in both voltage polarities, and its relation to point defects is established. The conduction mechanism of both PZT and KNN thin films is found to be Schottky-limited. Furthermore, the resistance degradation is due to the reduction in Schottky barrier height, which results from the interfacial accumulation of additional charged defects. In order to study those defects, we use thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements and charge-based deep level transient spectroscopy (Q-DLTS) to characterize the defects in both PZT and KNN thin films. In PZT thin films, the resistance degradation take place in different waves of increasing leakage current. Both oxygen vacancies and lead vacancies contribute to the different waves of resistance degradation in both voltage polarities. A physical degradation model was developed based on hopping migration of oxygen vacancies at constant speed and exponent accumulation of lead vacancy trapping, where the natural logarithm of leakage current is proportional to the accumulated defect concentration to the power of 0.25. By using the oxygen vacancy concentration measured by TSDC and lead vacancy concentrations measured by Q-DLTS, the model successfully explained the resistance degradation behaviors of PZT films varying due to deposition non-uniformity and due to different process parameters. The accumulation of oxygen vacancies at cathode is supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the resistance degradation can be restored by proper heat and electrical treatment as predicted by the defect characterization results. In KNN thin films, oxygen vacancies contribute to the resistance degradation when a negative voltage is applied at the top electrode, whereas sodium and potassium vacancies contribute to the resistance degradation when a positive voltage is applied at the top electrode. The model developed for PZT can be applied also to KNN, where the model successfully explained the resistance degradation behaviors of KNN films varying due to the deposition non-uniformity by using the defect concentration measured by TSDC. The accumulation of oxygen vacancies at cathode and sodium plus potassium vacancies at anode are supported by transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX), and the resistance degradation can be restored also by proper heat and electrical treatment as predicted by the defect characterization results. This dissertation revealed the similarity of the resistance degradation between sputtered PZT and KNN thin films. The degradation is controlled by the crystallography point defects created during deposition process inside the material, indicating the significance of process control on material reliability. This dissertation also demonstrates the applicability of TSDC and Q-DLTS as alternative methods to assess the quality of the piezoelectric thin films. Both measurement techniques provide additional information regarding specific defects when comparing with conventional highly accelerated lifetime test (HALT) or other relevant tests. / Die Sicherstellung der Zuverlässigkeit piezoelektrischer Dünnschichten ist entscheidend für eine erfolgreiche Anwendung in piezoelektrischen mikro-elektromechanischen Systemen (piezoMEMS). Einer der wichtigsten limitierenden Faktoren für die Zuverlässigkeit ist die Widerstandsdegradation, bei der der Leckstrom mit der Zeit unter elektrischer Last zunimmt. Das Verständnis der Widerstandsdegradation in piezoelektrischen Dünnschichten erfordert laut Literatur Kenntnisse über Punkt-Defekte innerhalb der Materialien. In dieser Dissertation wird der Mechanismus der Widerstandsdegradation in gesputterten Blei-Zirkonat-Titanat (PZT) Dünnschichten und dessen bleifreier alternative Kalium-Natrium-Niobat (KNN) in beiden Spannungspolaritäten untersucht und deren Zusammenhang mit Punkt-Defekte hergestellt. Der Leitungsmechanismus von PZT- und KNN-Dünnschichten ist Schottky-begrenzt. Außerdem ist die Widerstandsdegradation auf die Reduzierung der Schottky-Barrierhöhe zurückzuführen, die von der Akkumulation zusätzlicher aufgeladener -Defekte an der Grenzfläche stammt. Um diese -Defekte zu untersuchen, verwenden wir thermisch stimulierte Depolarisationsstrommessungen (Thermally stimulated depolarization current, TSDC) und ladungsbasierte Deep-Level-Transientenspektroskopie (Charge-based deep level transient spectroscopy, Q-DLTS), um die Defekte sowohl in PZT- als auch in KNN-Dünnschichten zu charakterisieren.Die Wiederstandsdegradation in PZT-Dünnschichten findet in unterschiedlichen Wellen des erhöhenden Leckstroms statt. Sowohl Sauerstofffehlstellen als auch Bleifehlstellen tragen zu den unterschiedlichen Wellen der Widerstandsdegradation in beiden Spannungspolaritäten bei. Ein physikalisches Degradationsmodell wurde entwickelt, basierend auf der Hopping-Migration von Sauerstofffehlstellen bei konstanter Geschwindigkeit und exponentieller Akkumulation von Ladungseinfang durch Bleifehlstellen, wobei der natürliche Logarithmus des Leckstroms proportional zur akkumulierten Defektkonzentration hoch 0,25 ist. Durch die Verwendung der Sauerstofffehlstellen- und Bleifehlstellenkonzentrationen konnte das Modell das Widerstandsdegradationsverhalten von PZT-Dünnschichten erklären, das wegen der Ungleichmäßigkeit der Deposition und wegen der verschiedenen Prozessparameters variiert. Die Sauerstofffehlstellenkonzentration wird durch TSDC gemessen und die Bleifehlstellenkonzentrationen wird durch Q-DLTS gemessen. Die Akkumulation von Sauerstofffehlstellen an der Kathode wird durch die Röntgen-Photoelektronenspektroskopie (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS) unterstützt und die Widerstandsdegradation kann durch eine ordnungsgemäße Wärme- und elektrische Behandlung wiederhergestellt werden, wie durch die Ergebnisse von Defektecharakterisierung vorhergesagt wurde. Bei KNN-Dünnschichten tragen Sauerstofffehlstellen zu der Widerstandsdegradation bei, wenn eine negative Spannung an der oberen Elektrode anliegt, und Natrium- und Kaliumfehlstellen tragen zu der Widerstandsdegradation bei, wenn eine positive Spannung an der oberen Elektrode anliegt. Das für PZT entwickelte Modell kann auch auf KNN angewendet werden. Das Modell erklärt erfolgreich das Widerstandsdegradationverhalten von KNN-Dünnschichten, das durch die Ungleichmäßigkeit der Deposition variiert werden, was mithilfe der mit TSDC gemessenen Defektkonzentrationen erklärt werden kann. Die Akkumulation von Sauerstofffehlstellen an Kathode und Natrium- und Kaliumfehlstellen an der Anode wird durch die transmissionselektronenmikroskopische energiedispersive Röntgenspektroskopie (transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, TEM-EDX) unterstützt, und die Widerstandsdegradation kann auch durch eine ordnungsgemäße Wärme- und elektrische Behandlung wiederhergestellt werden, wie durch die Ergebnisse von Defektecharakterisierung vorhergesagt wurde. Diese Dissertation zeigt die Ähnlichkeit der Widerstandsdegradation zwischen gesputterten PZT- und KNN-Dünnschichten. Die Degradation wird durch die kristallographischen Punkt-Defekte gesteuert, die während des Abscheidungsprozesses im Material entstehen. Das weist auf die Bedeutung der Prozesskontrolle für die Zuverlässigkeit des Materials hin. Diese Dissertation zeigt auch die Anwendbarkeit von TSDC und Q-DLTS als alternative Methoden zur Beurteilung der Qualität der piezoelektrischen Dünnschichten. Beide Messtechniken liefern zusätzliche Informationen zu spezifischen Defekte im Vergleich zu traditionellen HALT-Prüfungen (highly accelerated lifetime test).