US-12617695-B2 - Fluorite-based material thin film and semiconductor device comprising the same

US12617695B2US 12617695 B2US12617695 B2US 12617695B2US-12617695-B2

Abstract

Provided is a fluorite-based material thin film including an orthorhombic crystal structure having a symmetric segment and a non-symmetric segment; and at least two domains having different polarization directions. At least one of, the symmetric segment is not present at a wall between the domains, or at least two symmetric segments are consecutive. Also provided is a semiconductor device including the fluorite-based material thin film having an orthorhombic crystal structure. A polarization direction of the fluorite-based material thin film is configured to be changed by a structural transition between the symmetric segment and the non-symmetric segment.

Inventors

Dukhyun CHOE
Jinseong HEO

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211105
Priority Date: 20201201

Claims (13)

1 . A fluorite-based material thin film comprising: an orthorhombic crystal structure having a symmetric segment and a non-symmetric segment; and at least two domains having different polarization directions, wherein, (A) the symmetric segment is not present at a wall between the at least two domains, or (B) at least two of the symmetric segment are consecutively adjacent.
2 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the symmetric segment includes, in a crystal lattice having four oxygen ions and two metal ions, an atomic arrangement structure in which positions of the metal ions and the oxygen ions have symmetry with respect to a polar c-axis.
3 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the non-symmetric segment includes, in a crystal lattice having four oxygen ions and two metal ions, an atomic arrangement structure in which positions of the metal ions and the oxygen ions have non-symmetry with respect to a polar c-axis.
4 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two domains is a set of adjacent orthorhombic crystal structures having a same polarization direction.
5 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the fluorite-based material thin film comprises an atomic arrangement represented by U-S x -D, wherein S is the symmetric segment, x is an integer of 0, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and U and D are domains having different polarization directions from each other.
6 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 5 , wherein U and D have a same chirality.
7 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 5 , wherein each of U and D is a domain with an atomic arrangement in which the non-symmetric segment is arranged adjacent to S x .
8 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the orthorhombic crystal structure comprises a material represented by MO 2 , wherein M is Hf, Zr, or a combination of Hf or Zr.
9 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the orthorhombic crystal structure comprises: as a base material, a material represented by MO 2 , wherein M is Hf, Zr, or a combination of Hf and Zr; and at least one dopant material selected from the group including C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Al, Y, La, Gd, Mg, Ca, Sr Ba, Ti.
10 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 9 , wherein an amount of the at least one dopant material is greater than 0 at % and less than or equal to 20 at %, the amount with respect to a metal element of the base material.
11 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the thin film has a thickness greater than 0 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm.
12 . The fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 , wherein the fluorite-based material thin film exhibits ferroelectricity.
13 . An electronic device comprising: the fluorite-based material thin film of claim 1 ; and at least one active or passive element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2020-0165948, filed on Dec. 1, 2020, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0047342, filed on Apr. 12, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. BACKGROUND Some example embodiments relate to a fluorite-based material thin film and/or a semiconductor device including the same. According to the trend of electronic products toward being lighter, thinner, and/or smaller, the demand for high-integration of semiconductor devices is increasing. Accordingly, various types of semiconductor devices have been proposed. As an example, there is a semiconductor device including a ferroelectric layer. SUMMARY Provided is a fluorite-based material thin film having an improved or excellent polarization switching rate. Alternatively or additionally, provided are a semiconductor device that is operable with low-electric power and has a high degree of integration and/or excellent operation rate, and/or an apparatus including the semiconductor device. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of some example embodiments. According to some example embodiments, a fluorite-based material thin film includes an orthorhombic crystal structure having a symmetric segment and a non-symmetric segment, and at least two domains having different polarization directions, wherein at least one of the symmetric segment is not present at a wall between the domains, or at least two symmetric segments are consecutive. The symmetric segment may include, in a crystal lattice having of four oxygen ions and two metal ions, an atomic arrangement structure in which positions of the metal ions and oxygen ions have symmetry with respect to a polar c-axis. The non-symmetric segment may include, in a crystal lattice having four oxygen ions and two metal ions, an atomic arrangement structure in which positions of the metal ions and the oxygen ions have non-symmetry with respect to the polar c-axis. At least one of the domains may be a set of adjacent orthorhombic crystal structures having a same polarization direction. The fluorite-based material thin film may include an atomic arrangement represented by U-Sx-D, wherein S is the symmetric segment, x is an integer of 0, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and U and D are the domains having different polarization direction from each other. U and D may be domains having a same chirality or different chiralities. Each of U and D may be a domain with an atomic arrangement in which the non-symmetric segment is arranged adjacent to Sx. The fluorite-based material thin film may include a material represented by MO2, wherein M is Hf, Zr, or a combination of Hf and Zr. According to some example embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a fluorite-based material thin film having an orthorhombic crystal structure having a symmetric segment and a non-symmetric segment, wherein a polarization direction of the fluorite-based material thin film is configured to be changed through structural transition between the symmetric segment and the non-symmetric segment. The polarization direction may be configured to be changed while a structural transition of at least one of the symmetric segment to the non-symmetric segment or a structural transition of the non-symmetric segment to the symmetric segment occurs according to a direction in which an electric field is applied from the outside, and accordingly, a wall between the domains having different polarization directions propagates. According to some example embodiments, an electronic component includes a ferroelectric layer, the ferroelectric layer including a plurality of unit cells extending in a first direction. A first portion of the plurality of unit cells includes first cells having a symmetric structure and second cells having a first asymmetric structure, the first having the symmetric structure alternating with the second cells having the first asymmetric structure, a second portion of the plurality of unit cells includes third cells having the symmetric structure and fourth cells having a second asymmetric structure, the third cells having the symmetric structure alternating with the fourth cells having the second asymmetric structure, and the first portion of the plurality of unit cells is adjacent to the second portion of the plurality of unit cells at a boundary, and at the boundary, one of the first cells having the symmetric structure is adjacent to one of the third cells having the symmetric structure. Alternatively or additionally, one of the second cells having the first asymmetric structure is adjacent to one of the fourth cells having the second asymmetric structure. The electronic component may include a substrate