High quality epitaxial piezoelectric and ferroelectric wurtzite Al\(_{1-x}\)Sc\(_x\)N thin films

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric wurtzite are promising to reshape modern microelectronics because they can be easily integrated with mainstream semiconductor technology. Sc doped AlN (Al\(_{1-x}\)Sc\(_x\)N) has attracted much attention for its enhanced piezoelectric and emerging ferroelectric proper...

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Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors Zeng, Yang, Yihan Lei, Wang, Yanghe, Cheng, Mingqiang, Liao, Luocheng, Wang, Xuyang, Ge, Jinxin, Liu, Zhenghao, Ming, Wenjie, Li, Chao, Xie, Shuhong, Li, Jiangyu, Li, Changjian
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 21.08.2024
Subjects
Ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectricity
Leakage current
Piezoelectricity
Pulsed laser deposition
Pulsed lasers
Radio frequency
Sapphire
Scandium
Silicon substrates
Thin films
Wurtzite
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Summary:Piezoelectric and ferroelectric wurtzite are promising to reshape modern microelectronics because they can be easily integrated with mainstream semiconductor technology. Sc doped AlN (Al\(_{1-x}\)Sc\(_x\)N) has attracted much attention for its enhanced piezoelectric and emerging ferroelectric properties, yet the commonly used sputtering results in polycrystalline Al\(_{1-x}\)Sc\(_x\)N films with high leakage current. Here we report the pulsed laser deposition of single crystalline epitaxial Al\(_{1-x}\)Sc\(_x\)N thin films on sapphire and 4H-SiC substrates. Pure wurtzite phase is maintained up to \(x = 0.3\) with minimal oxygen contamination. Polarization is estimated to be 140 \(\mu\)C/cm\(^2\) via atomic scale microscopy imaging and found to be switchable via a scanning probe. The piezoelectric coefficient is found to be 5 times of undoped one when \(x = 0.3\), making it desirable for high frequency radiofrequency (RF) filters and three-dimensional nonvolatile memories.
ISSN:2331-8422