A semiconductor device includes a capacitor structure. The capacitor structure includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer, and a top electrode that are sequentially stacked in a first direction. The dielectric layer includes first dielectric layers and second dielectric layers interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode and are that are alternately stacked in the first direction. The first dielectric layers include a ferroelectric material, and the second dielectric layers include an anti-ferroelectric material. A lowermost second dielectric layer is interposed between a lowermost first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode, and an uppermost second dielectric layer is interposed between an uppermost first dielectric layer and the top electrode.

The scaling of features in ICs has been a driving force behind an ever-growing semiconductor industry. As transistors of the ICs become smaller, their gate lengths become smaller, leading to undesirable short-channel effects such as poor leakage, poor subthreshold swing, drain-induced barrier lowering, etc. Reducing transistor dimensions at the gate allows keeping the footprint of the transistor relatively small and comparable to what could be achieved implementing a transistor with a shorter gate length while effectively increasing transistor's effective gate length and thus reducing the negative impacts of short-channel effects. This architecture may be optimized even further if transistors are to be operated at relatively low temperatures, e.g., below 200 Kelvin degrees or lower.

A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film disposed therebetween, first and second wirings connected to the semiconductor layer, and a third wiring connected to the gate electrode and is configured to execute a write operation, an erase operation, and a read operation. In the write operation, a write voltage of a first polarity is supplied between the third wiring and at least one of the first wiring or the second wiring. In the erase operation, an erase voltage of a second polarity is supplied between the third wiring and at least one of the first wiring or the second wiring. In the read operation, the write voltage or a voltage having a larger amplitude than that of the write voltage is supplied between the third wiring and at least one of the first wiring or the second wiring.

The memory bit-cell formed using the ferroelectric capacitor results in a taller and narrower bit-cell compared to traditional memory bit-cells. As such, more bit-cells can be packed in a die resulting in a higher density memory that can operate at lower voltages than traditional memories while providing the much sought after non-volatility behavior. The pillar capacitor includes a plug that assists in fabricating a narrow pillar.

The memory bit-cell formed using the ferroelectric capacitor results in a taller and narrower bit-cell compared to traditional memory bit-cells. As such, more bit-cells can be packed in a die resulting in a higher density memory that can operate at lower voltages than traditional memories while providing the much sought after non-volatility behavior. The pillar capacitor includes a plug that assists in fabricating a narrow pillar.

Described are ferroelectric device film stacks which include a templating or texturing layer or material deposited below a ferroelectric layer, to enable a crystal lattice of the subsequently deposited ferroelectric layer to template off this templating layer and provide a large degree of preferential orientation despite the lack of epitaxial substrates.

Asynchronous circuits implemented using threshold gate(s) and/or majority gate(s) (or minority gate(s)) are described. The new class of asynchronous circuits can operate at lower power supply levels (e.g., less than 1V on advanced technology nodes) because stack of devices between a supply node and ground are significantly reduced compared to traditional asynchronous circuits. The asynchronous circuits here result in area reduction (e.g., 3× reduction compared to traditional asynchronous circuits) and provide higher throughput/mm.sup.2 (e.g., 2× higher throughput compared to traditional asynchronous circuits). The threshold gate(s), majority/minority gate(s) can be implemented using capacitive input circuits. The capacitors can have linear dielectric or non-linear polar material as dielectric.

Asynchronous circuits implemented using threshold gate(s) and/or majority gate(s) (or minority gate(s)) are described. The new class of asynchronous circuits can operate at lower power supply levels (e.g., less than 1V on advanced technology nodes) because stack of devices between a supply node and ground are significantly reduced compared to traditional asynchronous circuits. The asynchronous circuits here result in area reduction (e.g., 3× reduction compared to traditional asynchronous circuits) and provide higher throughput/mm.sup.2 (e.g., 2× higher throughput compared to traditional asynchronous circuits). The threshold gate(s), majority/minority gate(s) can be implemented using capacitive input circuits. The capacitors can have linear dielectric or non-linear polar material as dielectric.

Described are ferroelectric device film stacks which include a templating or texturing layer or material deposited below a ferroelectric layer, to enable a crystal lattice of the subsequently deposited ferroelectric layer to template off this templating layer and provide a large degree of preferential orientation despite the lack of epitaxial substrates.

A new class of logic gates are presented that use non-linear polar material. The logic gates include multi-input majority gates and threshold gates. Input signals in the form of analog, digital, or combination of them are driven to first terminals of non-ferroelectric capacitors. The second terminals of the non-ferroelectric capacitors are coupled to form a majority node. Majority function of the input signals occurs on this node. The majority node is then coupled to a first terminal of a capacitor comprising non-linear polar material. The second terminal of the capacitor provides the output of the logic gate, which can be driven by any suitable logic gate such as a buffer, inverter, NAND gate, NOR gate, etc. Any suitable logic or analog circuit can drive the output and inputs of the majority logic gate. As such, the majority gate of various embodiments can be combined with existing transistor technologies.