Investigation of state retention in metal–ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor structures based on Langmuir–Blodgett copolymer films

Authors

Timothy J. Reece, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
A. Gerber, Institut für Festkörperforschung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Institut für Festkörperforschung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, Institut für Festkörperforschung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Stephen Ducharme, University of NebraskaFollow

Date of this Version

7-2010

Comments

Published in JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 108, 024109 (2010); doi:10.1063/1.3452331 © 2010 American Institute of Physics. Used by permission.

Abstract

Among the ferroelectric thin films considered for use in nonvolatile memory devices, the ferroelectric copolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF (C₂H₂F₂), with trifluoroethylene, TrFE (C₂HF₃), has distinct advantages, including low dielectric constant, low processing temperature, relative low cost compared with epitaxial ferroelectric oxides, and compatibility with organic semiconductors. We report the operation and polarization retention properties of a metal– ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor bistable capacitor memory element consisting of an aluminum gate, a P(VDF-TrFE) Langmuir–Blodgett film, a 30 nm cerium oxide buffer layer, and a moderately doped silicon wafer. The device exhibited a 1.9 V wide hysteresis window obtained with a +/-7 V operating range with a state retention time of 10 min. The mechanisms contributing to loss of state retention are discussed.