AFE-like Hysteresis Loops from Doped HfO2: Field Induced Phase Changes and Depolarization Fields

Abstract

Most pristine doped HfO2 polarization-field hysteresis loops show a pinched hysteresis and discussions are ongoing to explain this AFE-like switching behavior. Main causes discussed in literature are related to field induced phase changes, depolarization fields from non-polar phase regions in ferroelectric HfO2, and trapped charge. Structural and electrical characterization results are compared to distinguish between the different causes of AFE-like hysteresis behavior.