Nonvolatile Applications and Reliability Investigation of La-Doped ZrO2 Antiferroelectric Capacitors

The nonvolatile application of La-doped ZrO2 (ZLO) antiferroelectric capacitors is demonstrated in this study, accompanied by systematic investigation of device reliability. A built-in electric field was successfully established through engineered work function modulation. The fabricated nonvolatile (NV) ZLO capacitor exhibits not only avoidance of wake-up and fatigue phenomena typically observed in ferroelectric systems but also demonstration of ultralow coercive voltage (2Vc = 1.2 V) and exceptional endurance exceeding 1012 cycles. The inherent unique polarization reversal mechanism in NV ZLO device was identified as the origin of a unidirectional imprint effect. Accelerated testing at 85 °C for 104 s yielded conclusive evidence of retention characteristic stability. This investigation provides a novel perspective for the engineering utilization of antiferroelectric materials and facilitates their potential incorporation into advanced integrated circuit architectures.