Electron Devices Based On Ferroelectric Hafnium Oxide Thin Films

Ferroelectric hafnium oxide is maybe the ferroelectric of the future. Its emergence drew a lot of attention due to its compatibility with microelectronics processes and the prospects for very-large scale integration. In this work we, hence, want to cover various aspects on the research which was undertaken towards application of such integrated ferroelectric devices employing hafnium oxide. We start from the theoretical aspects of ferroelectric thin films with the discussion of basic physical laws governing ferroelectrics. We will go over the structural physics of hafnium oxide thin films and ways to investigate and deposit it; relevant ferroelectric memory device concepts and the major reliability parameters will be shown. We will also discuss applications with such memories beside data storage with them acting as synapses and neurons in brain-inspired computing principles. Furthermore, the inherent pyroelectric, piezoelectric and electrocaloric properties as well as its applications for sensing, cooling and energy harvesting will be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the tunable dielectric properties, which can be applied in tunable microwave passives for phase shifters and bandpass filters.