Title: Crystallographic texture optimisation in polycrystalline ferroelectric films for Random Access Memory applications

Authors: Heather A. Murdoch, R. Edwin Garcia

Addresses: School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. ' School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Abstract: The present paper analyses the effect of crystallographic texture on the electromechanical interactions of polycrystalline PZT films. These interactions are responsible for inducing local enhancements of the remnant polarisation. Built-in stresses and electric fields are responsible for asymmetries in the local shape of the hysteretic loop that are as large as 25% in the coercive field and 10% in the out-of-plane remnant polarisation. Simulations show two types of 180° domain walls are favoured: stress-free and mechanically tensile polarisation interfaces. For [001] fibre textured grains a texture of 37 MRDs (r = 0.3) will maximise the performance of individual memory units.

Keywords: ferroelectric materials; random access memory; RAM; hysteretic switching; crystallographic texture; polycrystalline PZT films; fibre textured grains; texture optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2009.025683

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2009 Vol.35 No.3/4, pp.293 - 310

Published online: 23 May 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article