Heavy ion irradiation induced phase transitions and their impact on the switching behavior of ferroelectric hafnia
Maximilian Lederer, Tobias Vogel, Thomas Kämpfe, Nico Kaiser, Eszter Piros, Ricardo Olivo, Tarek Ali, Stefan Petzold, David Lehninger, C. Trautmann, Lambert Alff, Konrad Seidel
Abstract
The discovery of ferroelectric hafnium oxide enabled a variety of non-volatile memory devices, like ferroelectric tunnel junctions or field-effect transistors. Reliable application of hafnium oxide based electronics in space or other high-dose environments requires an understanding of how these devices respond to highly ionizing radiation. Here, the effect of 1.6 GeV Au ion irradiation on these devices is explored, revealing a reversible phase transition, as well as a grain fragmentation process. The collected data demonstrate that non-volatile memory devices based on ferroelectric hafnia layers are ideal for applications where excellent radiation hardness is mandatory.