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ICMAB Research

Fast Switching and High Polarization in Ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Films
26 February 2026

A new paper has been published in the journal Small Science:

HfO2-based ferroelectric thin films exhibit promising potential for next-generation nonvolatile memories and neuromorphic devices. Achieving both high polarization and fast switching is required, but optimizing one of them can be at the cost of degrading the other. This study achieves simultaneous fast switching and high polarization in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 epitaxial films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The influence of redox conditions during film growth on the ferroelectric switching kinetics and domain wall motion is systematically explored. Switching spectroscopy and Rayleigh analysis reveal that optimized redox conditions, tuned by oxygen and argon pressures during Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 deposition, enable both enhanced polarization and switching speeds. Switching time can be further shortened when the final polarization state is aligned with the internal electric fields. The study challenges the trade-off between switching speed and polarization, demonstrating that precise control of defects in the film can simultaneously optimize both.

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M4ELC Sustainable Electronics

Fast Switching and High Polarization in Ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Films


Ali, Faizan; Song, Tingfeng; Sanchez, Florencio; Fina, Ignasi

Small Science, Volume6, Issue2, February 2026, e202500465
DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500465