Epitaxial nitride ferroelectronic devices
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsDing Wang, Ping Wang, Zetian Mi
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Abstract
A device includes a substrate, a heterostructure supported by the substrate, the heterostructure including a semiconductor layer supported by the substrate, and a ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer supported by the semiconductor layer, the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer including a Group IIIB element, and first and second contacts in electrical communication with the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer and the semiconductor layer, respectively, such that a polarity of a poling voltage applied across the first and second contacts establishes a state of ferroelectric polarization of the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer
Claims22
A device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a heterostructure supported by the substrate, the heterostructure comprising:
- a semiconductor layer supported by the substrate;
- and
- a ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer supported by the semiconductor layer, the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer comprising a Group IIIB element;
- and
- first and second contacts in electrical communication with the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer and the semiconductor layer, respectively, such that a polarity of a poling voltage applied across the first and second contacts establishes a state of ferroelectric polarization of the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer.
A device comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a heterostructure supported by the substrate;
- wherein the heterostructure comprises:
- a semiconductor layer supported by the substrate;
- and
- a ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer supported by the semiconductor layer, the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer comprising a Group IIIB element, and
- wherein the semiconductor layer is doped to configure the semiconductor layer as an electrode layer having a charge carrier concentration to support resistive switching of a polarization state of the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer.
A memory device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a heterostructure supported by the substrate, the heterostructure comprising:
- a semiconductor layer supported by the substrate;
- and
- a ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer supported by the semiconductor layer, the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer comprising a Group IIIB element, and
- a control circuit in electrical communication with the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer and the semiconductor layer, respectively, to apply a poling voltage and a read voltage across the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer and the semiconductor layer;
- wherein:
- a polarity of the poling voltage establishes a state of ferroelectric polarization of the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer, respectively;
- and
- the read voltage is at a voltage level to generate a current through the heterostructure, the current having a level indicative of the state of ferroelectric polarization.
A method of operating a memory device, the method comprising:
- applying a poling voltage across a heterostructure of the memory device to establish a polarization state of a ferroelectric III-nitride layer of the heterostructure, the ferroelectric III-nitride layer being supported by a semiconductor layer of the heterostructure, the ferroelectric III-nitride alloy layer comprising a Group IIIB element;
- applying a read voltage across the heterostructure;
- and
- determining a level of current flowing through the heterostructure in response to the read voltage for readout of the polarization state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.