{"title":"The HfO2 ferroelectric–metal heterojunction and its emergent electrostatic potential: comparison with ZrO2 and SiO2","authors":"Maria Helena Braga and Antonio Nuno Guerreiro","doi":"10.1039/D4TC02434F","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p >Transistors have been protagonists in the electronic device world since 1948. As miniaturization occurred, new materials, architectures, and fabrication strategies advanced. However, the choice of materials relative to getting the best chance to minimize Boltzmann's tyranny does not yet rely on predicting how the materials work together in heterojunctions. Herein, we show how conductors, Al and Cu, and insulators, ZrO<small><sub>2</sub></small> and HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small>, in a 2D horizontal contact cell, such as Cu/HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small>/Al, align their surface potentials and, consequently, their chemical potentials besides their electrochemical potentials or Fermi levels, either at the interface or at the individual surfaces away from the interface, depending on the impedance at the interface. The materials show that they are connected and responsive as a system within a cm range. HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> may behave as a ferroelectric at nanoparticle sizes or when doped with Zr<small><sup>4+</sup></small> in HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small>–ZrO<small><sub>2</sub></small> mixtures. Herein, we show that the μm-sized loose particles of HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> with their stable crystalline structure can equalize their surface potentials and, consequently, their chemical potentials with the metals’ counterparts at the heterojunctions, at OCV, or in a closed circuit with a 1 kΩ resistor load, which has only been demonstrated before with ferroionics and ferroelectric glasses. The ability to propagate surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at THz-frequencies was also observed, superimposing the equalization of the surface potentials along the materials’ interfacial cross-sections. The μm-sized HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> shows a high capacity for polarizing, increasing its dielectric constant to >10<small><sup>5</sup></small>, while characterized in Cu/HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small>/Al and Cu/HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small>/Cu cells by scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) with the probe at different heights, cyclic voltammetry (CV or <em>I</em>–<em>V</em>), and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Using <em>ab initio</em> simulations, the optimized crystalline structure and electrical, electrostatic, and thermal properties of HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> were determined: electron localization function (ELF), band structure, Fermi surface, thermal conductivity, and chemical potential <em>vs.</em> the number of charge carriers. We highlight that emergent ferroelectric and topologic plasmonic transport was distinctly observed for HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> in a horizontal-like cell containing two metal/HfO<small><sub>2</sub></small> heterojunctions without electromagnetic pump application.</p>","PeriodicalId":84,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Chemistry C","volume":" 48","pages":" 19386-19397"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/tc/d4tc02434f?page=search","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Materials Chemistry C","FirstCategoryId":"1","ListUrlMain":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/tc/d4tc02434f","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Transistors have been protagonists in the electronic device world since 1948. As miniaturization occurred, new materials, architectures, and fabrication strategies advanced. However, the choice of materials relative to getting the best chance to minimize Boltzmann's tyranny does not yet rely on predicting how the materials work together in heterojunctions. Herein, we show how conductors, Al and Cu, and insulators, ZrO2 and HfO2, in a 2D horizontal contact cell, such as Cu/HfO2/Al, align their surface potentials and, consequently, their chemical potentials besides their electrochemical potentials or Fermi levels, either at the interface or at the individual surfaces away from the interface, depending on the impedance at the interface. The materials show that they are connected and responsive as a system within a cm range. HfO2 may behave as a ferroelectric at nanoparticle sizes or when doped with Zr4+ in HfO2–ZrO2 mixtures. Herein, we show that the μm-sized loose particles of HfO2 with their stable crystalline structure can equalize their surface potentials and, consequently, their chemical potentials with the metals’ counterparts at the heterojunctions, at OCV, or in a closed circuit with a 1 kΩ resistor load, which has only been demonstrated before with ferroionics and ferroelectric glasses. The ability to propagate surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at THz-frequencies was also observed, superimposing the equalization of the surface potentials along the materials’ interfacial cross-sections. The μm-sized HfO2 shows a high capacity for polarizing, increasing its dielectric constant to >105, while characterized in Cu/HfO2/Al and Cu/HfO2/Cu cells by scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) with the probe at different heights, cyclic voltammetry (CV or I–V), and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Using ab initio simulations, the optimized crystalline structure and electrical, electrostatic, and thermal properties of HfO2 were determined: electron localization function (ELF), band structure, Fermi surface, thermal conductivity, and chemical potential vs. the number of charge carriers. We highlight that emergent ferroelectric and topologic plasmonic transport was distinctly observed for HfO2 in a horizontal-like cell containing two metal/HfO2 heterojunctions without electromagnetic pump application.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Materials Chemistry is divided into three distinct sections, A, B, and C, each catering to specific applications of the materials under study:
Journal of Materials Chemistry A focuses primarily on materials intended for applications in energy and sustainability.
Journal of Materials Chemistry B specializes in materials designed for applications in biology and medicine.
Journal of Materials Chemistry C is dedicated to materials suitable for applications in optical, magnetic, and electronic devices.
Example topic areas within the scope of Journal of Materials Chemistry C are listed below. This list is neither exhaustive nor exclusive.
Bioelectronics
Conductors
Detectors
Dielectrics
Displays
Ferroelectrics
Lasers
LEDs
Lighting
Liquid crystals
Memory
Metamaterials
Multiferroics
Photonics
Photovoltaics
Semiconductors
Sensors
Single molecule conductors
Spintronics
Superconductors
Thermoelectrics
Topological insulators
Transistors