Temperature, Voltage, and Proximity Limitations in AlScN Non-Volatile Memory Devices for Extreme Environments

Interest in high temperature electronics has grown in recent years, driven by the advantages of computing in extreme environments. While there has been success in developing logic devices, particularly utilizing SiC, robust and miniaturizable non-volatile memory (NVM) has only recently become possible. Scandium-doped Aluminum Nitride (AlScN) shows great promise for NVM applications, with a ferroelectric transition temperature exceeding 1000 °C and a polarizability of over 100 µC/cm². This presentation will demonstrate the performance, temperature dependence, retention, and endurance of wafer-scale AlScN NVM devices at 600 °C, as well as polarizability at 900 °C. Additionally, recent advances in SiC compatibility, along with practical considerations such as device proximity limits and overvoltage effects, will be discussed.