The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a capacitor which in turn comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant. The base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The capacitor stack additionally comprises first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer. The capacitor stack further comprises first and second barrier metal layers on respective ones of the first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a transistor formed on a silicon substrate and a capacitor electrically connected to the transistor by a conductive via. The capacitor comprises upper and lower conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of a polar layer, wherein the lower conductive oxide electrode is electrically connected to a drain of the transistor. The capacitor additionally comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant, wherein the base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen, wherein the dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The semiconductor device additionally comprises a lower barrier layer comprising a refractory metal or an intermetallic compound between the lower conductive oxide electrode and the conductive via.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a capacitor, which in turn comprises a polar layer comprising a crystalline base polar material doped with a dopant. The base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen, wherein the dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The capacitor additionally comprises first and second crystalline conductive or semiconductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer, wherein the polar layer has a lattice constant that is matched within about 20% of a lattice constant of one or both of the first and second crystalline conductive or semiconductive oxide electrodes. The first crystalline conductive or semiconductive oxide electrode serves as a template for growing the polar layer thereon, such that at least a portion of the polar layer is pseudomorphically formed on the first crystalline conductive or semiconductive oxide electrode.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a capacitor comprises a crystalline polar layer comprising a base polar material substitutionally doped with a dopant. The base polar material comprises one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element of one of 4d series, 5d series, 4f series or 5f series that is different from the one or more metal elements, such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a capacitor which in turn comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant. The base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The capacitor stack additionally comprises first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer. The capacitor stack further comprises first and second barrier metal layers on respective ones of the first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming an inter-metal dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a first conductive line embedded in the inter-metal dielectric layer; forming a dielectric structure over the inter-metal dielectric layer and the first conductive line; etching the dielectric structure until the first conductive line is exposed; forming a bottom electrode layer on the exposed first conductive line such that the bottom electrode layer has an U-shaped when viewed in a cross section; forming a ferroelectric layer over the bottom electrode layer; forming a top electrode layer over the ferroelectric layer.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a capacitor which in turn comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant. The base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The capacitor stack additionally comprises first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer. The capacitor stack further comprises first and second barrier metal layers on respective ones of the first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer.

Ferroelectric stacks are disclosed herein that can improve retention performance of ferroelectric memory devices. An exemplary ferroelectric stack has a ferroelectric switching layer (FSL) stack disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The ferroelectric stack includes a barrier layer disposed between a first FSL and a second FSL, where a first crystalline condition of the barrier layer is different than a second crystalline condition of the first FSL and/or the second FSL. In some embodiments, the first crystalline condition is an amorphous phase, and the second crystalline condition is an orthorhombic phase. In some embodiments, the first FSL and/or the second FSL include a first metal oxide, and the barrier layer includes a second metal oxide. The ferroelectric stack can be a ferroelectric capacitor, a portion of a transistor, and/or connected to a transistor in a ferroelectric memory device to provide data storage in a non-volatile manner.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a transistor formed on a silicon substrate and a capacitor electrically connected to the transistor by a conductive via. The capacitor comprises upper and lower conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of a polar layer, wherein the lower conductive oxide electrode is electrically connected to a drain of the transistor. The capacitor additionally comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant, wherein the base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen, wherein the dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The semiconductor device additionally comprises a lower barrier layer comprising a refractory metal or an intermetallic compound between the lower conductive oxide electrode and the conductive via.

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a semiconductor device comprises a capacitor which in turn comprises a polar layer comprising a base polar material doped with a dopant. The base polar material includes one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element that is different from the one or more metal elements and is present at a concentration such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV. The capacitor stack additionally comprises first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer. The capacitor stack further comprises first and second barrier metal layers on respective ones of the first and second crystalline conductive oxide electrodes on opposing sides of the polar layer.