Interfacial Reaction Engineering for Use in Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂-Based Metal-Ferroelectric-Metal Capacitors Using N₂ + H₂ Gas Pretreatment

The scaling limitations in traditional semiconductor technologies have accelerated the demand for advanced nonvolatile memory devices. Ferroelectric HfO2-based thin films, particularly Zr-doped HfO2 (HZO), have gained prominence due to their ability to support ferroelectricity at reduced dimensions, offering a path toward high-density and low-power memory solutions. However, reliability issues such as wake-up and imprint phenomena still hinder the commercialization of HZO-based devices. In this study, we propose a N2/H2 pretreatment for Mo electrodes in metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors to enhance device performance and mitigate interfacial degradation. The pretreatment reduces the MoOx interfacial layer, lowers the oxidation state, and minimizes work function differences between electrodes, thus improving ferroelectric properties. XPS analysis shows a 10% reduction in Mo6+, while GAXRD results reveal enhanced stabilization of the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase. Electrical characterization demonstrates increased remanent polarization and a reduced imprint field, with negligible wake-up effects up to 106 cycles. These findings highlight the effectiveness of N2/H2 pretreatment in improving the reliability of HZO-based MFM capacitors and promoting their potential for next-generation memory applications.