Improved Endurance of Ferroelectric Hf(0.5)Zr(0.5)O(2) Using Laminated-Structure Interlayer

In this article, the endurance characteristic of the TiN/HZO/TiN capacitor was improved by the laminated structure of a ferroelectric Hf(0.5)Zr(0.5)O(2) thin film. Altering the HZO deposition ratio, the laminated-structure interlayer was formed in the middle of the HZO film. Although small remanent polarization reduction was observed in the capacitor with a laminated structure, the endurance characteristic was improved by two orders of magnitude (from 10(6) to 10(8) cycles). Moreover, the leakage current of the TiN/HZO/TiN capacitor with the laminated-structure interlayer was reduced by one order of magnitude. The reliability enhancement was proved by the Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) test, and the optimization results were attributed to the migration inhibition and nonuniform distribution of oxygen vacancies. Without additional materials and a complicated process, the laminated-structure method provides a feasible strategy for improving HZO device reliability.