Oxygen vacancy-mediated enhancement of ferroelectric domain wall memory performance at elevated temperatures

Abstract

The demand for reliable memory devices capable of operating in harsh environments, such as space and vehicles, necessitates the development of high-temperature-resistant technologies. In this study, we propose a novel ferroelectric domain wall (DW) memory utilizing BiFeO3 thin films, which exhibit exceptional retention and fatigue properties at 135 °C. Achieving this performance was made possible through precise control of the oxygen vacancy density in the epitaxial thin films induced by a post-annealing procedure conducted under an appropriate oxygen pressure of 10 Pa. Initially, prototype nano-memory devices lacking post-annealing treatment demonstrated resistive switching behavior at room temperature, with a current rectification ratio of 100:1, achieved by manipulating the uncompensated DW induced by polarization switching. With the additional annealing procedure in lower oxygen pressure, the wall current magnitude of the devices increased significantly, indicating the critical role of the oxygen vacancies in modulating the DW conductivity. Moreover, the nanodevices exhibited improved polarization retention due to oxygen vacancy-mediated charge injection that can be further enhanced at the elevated temperature. The electrons trapped deeply at the artificial DW were found to stabilize the switched polarization at the expense of reduced DW conductivity, emphasizing the importance of precise control over oxygen vacancy density for achieving a balance between high DW conductivity and excellent polarization retention.