RF-Magnetron Sputtered Au/(Na,K)NbO3/SiO2/Si MFIS-diode Structures

Abstract

AbstractRecently we proposed ferroelectric sodium potassium niobate (Na0.5K0.5NbO3, NKN) thin films to be a candidate for applications in nonvolatile memories and electrically tunable devices [1-5]. In this paper we report on processing and characterization of metal-ferroelectric-insulatorsemiconductor (MFIS) diode structures based on RF-magnetron sputtered NKN films. 0.7 μm thick NKN films have been deposited at 650 °C on the thermally grown 47 nm thick SiO2 layer on Si(001) wafers. Stoichiometric Na0.5K0.5NbO3 ceramic target was sputtered in an O2-Ar atmosphere with a total pressure of 5 mTorr. Grown films were analyzed as deposited as well as after an oxygen annealing at 600 °C for 30 minutes. The NKN films exhibit a strong (001) preferential orientation, which was appreciably improved after the oxygen annealing. A leakage current density of 2.3 nA/cm2 at an electric field of 400 kV/cm, and a memory window of 7.2 V was measured for Au/NKN/SiO2(47nm)/Si(001) diode structures at the programmable voltage of 40 V. I-V measurements were performed in the time domain to distinguish between the relaxation of polarization, “true” leakage current, and the degradation of the resistance in ferroelectric NKN film.