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Interface engineering is a key for high-performance HfO2-based ferroelectric devices. In this study, the fabrication techniques for HfO2-based thin films using atomic-layer-deposited ZrO2 nucleation layers (ALD-ZrO2-NLs), which are inserted at ferroelectric/electrode interfaces, are systematically summarized. ALD-ZrO2-NLs were found to promote crystallization and formation of the ferroelectric orthorhombic (O) phase in HfO2-based films, resulting in superior ferroelectricity. This is attributed to two critical roles of ALD-ZrO2-NLs: providing a seed layer that induces epitaxial-like grain growth because of the high degree of lattice matching between the pre-crystallized ALD-ZrO2-NL and the O phase of HfO2, and acting as a stressor layer that induces tensile stress due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients during annealing process. In addition, improved reliability and a low-temperature fabrication process for HfO2-based thin films are demonstrated using ALD-ZrO2-NLs. These findings suggest that interface engineering using ALD-ZrO2-NLs is a promising approach for fabricating next-generation HfO2-based ferroelectric devices.

Rights:

• Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International
  

Keyword: atomic layer deposition, ferroelectric HfO2-based thin films, memory devices, interface engineering, crystal phase control

Date published: 2026-04-30

Publisher: IOP Publishing

Journal:

• Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (ISSN: 13474065) vol. 65 issue. 8 080804

Funding:

• JSPS JP24K17304
• JSPS JP21J01667
• JSPS JP20H02189
• JSPS JP18J22998
• MEXT JPMXS0320220213

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.35848/1347-4065/ae5662

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Updated at: 2026-07-13 17:01:06 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-07-13 18:24:40 +0900