Dual-Mode 16kb Memory: Transforming a Ferroelectric Capacitor Bitcell into Resistive Filamentary Memory

This paper presents an experimental demonstration of a 16kb memory array that incorporates devices with a memory stack comprising Si-doped hafnium oxide and a thin Ti layer on the top electrode, which initially exhibits intrinsic FeRAM behavior and transitions irreversibly to RRAM operation after a forming process. The circuit features a dual-mode sense amplifier, enabling simultaneous characterization of both resistive (RRAM) and ferroelectric (FeRAM) switching. At the array level, we show robust FeRAM functionality, followed by reliable RRAM operation in both binary and multi-level configurations. Notably, pre-cycling the device in ferroelectric mode enhances RRAM reliability with a soft forming process and mitigating conductance drift effects observed immediately after programming the RRAM into analog multi-level conductance states. These results underscore the potential of merging FeRAM's low-energy write capability and RRAM's non-destructive read behavior in a single embedded technology, offering a promising route toward more versatile, memory solutions.