Pt/Pb(Zr0.4Ti0.6)O3 (PZT)/Pt capacitors were prepared by the sol-gel technique and their electric properties were analyzed. The asymmetry of polarization-electric field (P-E) and capacitor-voltage (C-V) curves exhibits existence of an interface layer (dead-layer) between top Pt electrode and PZT thin film. By conducting temperature dependant measurement, the Pt/PZT/Pt capacitor was confirmed to be Schottky emission conduction. In addition, barrier height of PZT contact calculated 0.67eV. On basic a series capacitors model and Schottky contact of Pt/PZT interface, the thickness and the dielectric constant of this dead-layer were estimated to be 6.4 nm and 170, respectively. Moreover, the dielectric constant of 900 was obtained for the real PZT ferroelectric layer. The existence of the dead-layer was also confirmed by the high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) observation and the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis on PZT ferroelectric layer in the Pt/PZT/Pt structure. Based on EDX analysis result, a 10-nm layer at Pt/PZT contact was suggested to be the dead-layer.

We report on the use of La2O3 (LO) as a capping layer for ferroelectric-gate thin-film transistors (FGTs) with solution-processed indium-tin-oxide (ITO) channel and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) gate insulator. The fabricated FGT exhibited excellent performance with a high “ON/OFF” current ratio (ION/IOFF) and a large memory window (∆Vth) of about 108 and 3.5 V, respectively. Additionally, a significantly improved data retention time (more than 16 hours) as compared to the ITO/PZT structure was also obtained as a result of good interface properties between the ITO channel and LO/PZT stacked gate insulator. We suggest that the LO capping layer acts as a barrier to prevent the interdiffusion and provides atomically flat ITO/LO/PZT interface. This all-oxide FGT device is very promising for future ferroelectric memories.

We have fabricated and characterized ferroelectric-gate TFTs using In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) or In2O3 as a channel material. The ferroelectric gate insulator used in this work is (Bi,La)4Ti3O12 (BLT). We observed normal n-channel transistor operation for both IGZO and In2O3-channel TFTs. However, a charge injection type hysteresis was observed for IGZO channel TFTs in drain current – gate voltage (ID-VG) characteristics. Post fabrication anneal at 300oC reduced the charge-injection-tyoe hystereesis and the subthreshold swing was also improved from 0.27 to 0.19 V/decade. On the other hand, when the In2O3 was used as a channel, hysteresis due to the ferroelectric gate insulator was clearly observed in ID-VG characteristics. A memory window of 2V, a subthreshold voltage swing of 0.35V/decade, a field-effect mobility of 1.6 cm2/Vs, and a on/off drain current ratio of more than 10^6 were obtained.

Indium tin oxide (ITO)-channel ferroelectric-gate thin film transistor (TFT) with large on/off current ratio is demonstrated by using mechanical polishing process to planarize the surface of ferroelectric bottom gate insulator (Bi,La)4Ti3O12 (BLT). It is shown that the mechanical polishing of the sol-gel derived polycrystalline ferroelectric BLT films causes no degradation in electrical properties. ITO channel layer was then deposited on the planarized BLT gate insulator to fabricate ferroelectric-gate TFTs. The off-current of the ITO/BLT TFT fabricated with the polishing process is drastically reduced to around 10−12 A, which is four orders of magnitude lower than that of the TFT fabricated without the polishing process. The obtained on/off current ratio is more than 107. In addition, a subthreshold voltage swing as small as 200 mV/decade was obtained.

We demonstrate transparent thin film transistors (TFTs) with nonvolatile memory operation using Bi4-xLaxTi3O12 (BLT) as a gate insulator and indium tin oxide (ITO) as a channel. ITO is also used for the gate, source and drain electrodes. Drain current-drain voltage (ID-VD) characteristics of transparent ITO/BLT ferroelectric-gate TFTs exhibit excellent n-channel transistor operations. On current of 0.35 mA was obtained when the applied gate voltage is 6V. On the other hand, the off current of the device is as low as 10-10A, which indicates that the ITO channel is sufficiently depleted by the ferroelectric polarization. In addition, drain current-gate voltage (ID-VG) characteristics demonstrate clear counterclockwise hysteresis loop due to the ferroelectric gate insulator. Optical transmittance of the fabricated device is greater than 60% including the quartz substrate.

Hafnium oxide films were deposited on silicon substrates at deposition temperatures ranging from 190 to 500 °C by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using an amide precursor, Hf[N(C2H5)2]4, and O2 as source materials. The effect of deposition temperature on the deposition characteristics and electrical properties of the resultant films were investigated. Reaction-limited deposition of hafnium oxide films occurred at deposition temperatures under 380 °C. Concentration of residues, such as carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, monotonously decreased with increasing deposition temperature, with nitrogen being the most thermally susceptible. However, surface roughness reached a minimum value at 400 °C. Amorphous films were obtained for deposition temperatures up to 450 °C, but obviously became crystallized at 500 °C. Accumulation capacitance increased with increasing deposition temperature but saturated above 400 °C. Moreover, postdeposition annealing at 800 °C caused no obvious degradation in the electrical properties of the film deposited at 400 °C.

We report ferroelectric-gate thin film transistors (TFTs) using indium tin oxide (ITO) as a channel material. Bottom-gate structure TFTs have been fabricated using ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) film as a gate insulator and ITO channel. Ferroelectric and ITO layers were formed by the sol-gel technique and RF sputtering, respectively. Drain current-drain voltage (ID-VD) characteristics of PZT/ITO ferroelectric-gate TFTs exhibit typical n-channel transistor operations with clear current saturation and electrical properties were improved by the post annealing. Drain current-gate voltage (ID-VG) characteristics demonstrate clear counterclockwise hysteresis loop due to the ferroelectric gate insulator. The obtained memory window is 2 V. The on/off current ratio of more than 102 has been obtained, which indicates that the ITO channel is sufficiently depleted by the ferroelectric polarization.

We have fabricated and characterized Pt (60nm) / (Sr,Sm)0.8Bi2.2Ta2O9 (SSBT, 130nm) / Pt (60nm) / Ti (10nm) / SiO2 (10nm) / p-Si (MFMIS:metal-ferroelectric-metal-insulator-semiconductor) structure FETs. The area ratio, the ratio of SSBT capacitor area to SiO2 capacitor, is varied from 1 to 15 in the MFMIS-FETs. It is demonstrated that MFMIS-FETs with area ratio of 6 have memory window of 0.5V with supply voltage of 5 V. Dependence of memory window on the area ratio is discussed.

We have fabricated and characterized Pt (60nm) / (Sr,Sm)0.8Bi2.2Ta2O9 (SSBT, 130nm) / Pt (60nm) / Ti (10nm) / SiO2 (10nm) / p-Si (MFMIS:metal-ferroelectric-metal-insulator-semiconductor) structure FETs. The area ratio, the ratio of SSBT capacitor area to SiO2 capacitor, is varied from 1 to 15 in the MFMIS-FETs. It is demonstrated that MFMIS-FETs with area ratio of 6 have memory window of 0.5V with supply voltage of 5 V. Dependence of memory window on the area ratio is discussed.

We have characterized (Sr,Sm)Bi2Ta 2O9 (SSBT) films fabricated by the sol-gel technique on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. For ferroelectric-gate FET applications, a ferroelectric film which has a small remanent polarization and a relatively large coercive field is required. It is demonstrated that Sm doping in ferroelectric SBT films is effective to reduce the remanent polarization and enhance the coercive field. Sr0.5Sm0.2Bi2.2Ta2O9 films (150nm) crystallized at 850°C exhibits good electrical properties with a remanent polarization of 1.7 μC/cm2 and a coercive fields of 85 kV/cm. These values are suitable for ferroelectric-gate FET applications.

We have characterized (Sr,Sm)Bi2Ta2O9 (SSBT) films fabricated by the sol-gel technique on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. For ferroelectric-gate FET applications, a ferroelectric film which has a small remanent polarization and a relatively large coercive field is required. It is demonstrated that Sm doping in ferroelectric SBT films is effective to reduce the remanent polarization and enhance the coercive field. Sr0.5Sm0.2Bi2.2Ta2O9 films (150nm) crystallized at 850°C exhibits good electrical properties with a remanent polarization of 1.7 μC/cm2 and a coercive fields of 85 kV/cm. These values are suitable for ferroelectric-gate FET applications.

We have fabricated and characterized metal-ferroelectric-metal-insulator-semiconductor (MFMIS) diodes and field-effect-transistors (FETs) using (Bi,La)4Ti3O12 (BLT) films. 9-nm-thick SiO2 is used as an “I” layer. It is shown that the memory window in the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of the MFMIS structures is as large as 3V for a voltage sweep of 5V, when the area ratio of the MIS region (SI) to the ferroelectric capacitor region (SF), SI/SF, is 15. It is also demonstrated that the MFMIS-FETs using Pt/BLT(150nm)/Pt/SiO2(9nm)/Si structures have hysteresis loops due to the ferroelectric BLT film in the drain current-gate voltage (ID-VG) characteristics. Observed threshold voltage shift is 3V and excellent data retention characteristics are demonstrated for the device with an area ratio SI/SF of 15.

(BiLa)4Ti3O12 (BLT) films have been fabricated by the sol-gel technique and characterized. It is shown that the partially replacing Bi with La can promote the crystallization, hence can reduce the crystallization temperature of the film. It is also demonstrated that crystalline orientations of sol-gel derived ferroelectric BLT films can be controlled by the growth conditions.

A ferroelectric YMnO3 thin films are grown on Si (111) substrates using Y2O3 buffer layers by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) analyses show that both Y2O3 and YMnO3 films are epitaxially grown on Si substrates. X-ray rocking curve measurements also show that the best FWHM (full width at half maximum) values for Y2O3 and YMnO3 films are 0.40° and 0.8°, respectively. C-V characteristics of Al/YMnO3/Y2O3/Si structures indicate the ferroelectric properties of YMnO3 films with a memory window of 0.7V.

Crystalline quality and ferroelectric properties of (120)-oriented BaMgF^BMF) films grown on Pt(111)/SiO2/Si(100) and n-Si(111) substrates have been investigated. The BaMgF4 films grown on Pt(111) have large and flat grains, while the films on Si(111) have small grains. The C-V curve of BaMgF4/Pt(111)/SiO2/Si(100) diodes showed a hysteresis loop with a memory window of 3.8V.

We report the preparation of PbZrxTi1−xO3 (PZT) films on Si substrates with a SrTiO3 (STO) buffer layer. STO buffer layers and PZT films were formed on Si substrates by the electron-beam assisted vacuum evaporation technique and sol-gel technique, respectively. By evaporating a thin (8nm) metal Sr layer prior to the STO deposition, which deoxidizes the SiO2 layer at the Si surface, (100)- and (111)-oriented STO thin films can be grown on Si(100) and (111) substrates, respectively. It is shown that a strongly (100)-oriented PZT film is grown on STO(100)/Si(100), whereas a strongly (111)-oriented PZT film is obtained on STO(111)/Si(111). It is also found that the STO buffer layer remains intact even after the PZT deposition. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis showed that the STO barrier layer was effective in preventing diffusion of Pb into the Si substrate.

The Raman scattering from LO phonon–plasmon coupled (LOPC) mode in heavily carbon doped p–type InxGa1–xAs grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) was studied experimentally. Only one LOPC mode appears between the GaAs–like and InAs–like LO modes was observed. The peak position of the LOPC mode is near the GaAs–like TO mode frequency, and is not sensitive to the hole concentration. The intensity of the mode increases with increasing the carrier concentration while the two LO modes decrease and become unvisible under the higher doping level. The hole concentration dependence of the linewidth and intensity of the LOPC mode is very similar to that in p–type GaAs. It was shown that the plasmon damping effect plays a dominant role in the p–type doping case.

Triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) was used as an aluminum source for metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE). The optical absorption coefficient for TIBA was found to be larger than both tri ethyl aluminum and triethylgallium. TIBA was introduced into a laser-induced MOMBE system and selective deposition of Al and AlAs was carried out. Al metal was deposited on the area where the ArF excimer laser was irradiated and no deposition was observed without the excimer laser irradiation at a substrate temperature of 350 C. Furthermore, a laser large enhancement of the growth rate of AlAs was observed at 350 C.