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Ferroelectric gate oxides for negative capacitance transistors

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Abstract

The energy efficiency of digital computing is approaching practical and fundamental limits since the operating voltages of transistors cannot be reduced much further. Negative capacitance in ferroelectric materials could help overcome this challenge by internally amplifying the transistor gate voltage. Here, we review how negative capacitance naturally arises in ferroelectrics due to their microscopic polarization instability and argue that ultrathin ferroelectrics are the next logical step in replacing conventional SiO2/HfO2-based high-k metal gate stacks. We show how the recent discoveries of ferroelectricity and negative capacitance in HfO2 and ZrO2-based thin films of fluorite structure enable further improvements in energy efficiency and performance of advanced transistors. Finally, we outline and anticipate future directions of this new and dynamic research field.

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  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA

    Michael Hoffmann & Sayeef Salahuddin

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  1. Michael Hoffmann
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  2. Sayeef Salahuddin
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Correspondence to Michael Hoffmann or Sayeef Salahuddin.

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Hoffmann, M., Salahuddin, S. Ferroelectric gate oxides for negative capacitance transistors. MRS Bulletin 46, 930–937 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-021-00208-y

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