Unveiling the polarization switching pathway through tetragonal phase as a metastable intermediate state in ferroelectric HfxZr1-xO2 thin film

Danyang Chen, Yulong Dong, Tianning Cui, Zhipeng Xue, Zikang Yao, Qiang Gao, Ruixue Wang, Yuyan Fan, Jingquan Liu, Xin Zhang, Zhen Wang (), Wenwu Li (), Junhao Chu, Mengwei Si () and Xiuyan Li ()
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Danyang Chen: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yulong Dong: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Tianning Cui: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhipeng Xue: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zikang Yao: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Qiang Gao: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Ruixue Wang: Fudan University
Yuyan Fan: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Jingquan Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xin Zhang: Hunan University
Zhen Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Wenwu Li: Fudan University
Junhao Chu: Fudan University
Mengwei Si: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiuyan Li: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The polarization switching pathway in HfxZr1-xO2-based ferroelectric thin film is still not well clarified and agreed, limiting the fundamental physical understanding and performance engineering. The key question lies in clarifying the transient intermediate state during the polarization switching of orthorhombic phase. In this work, by designing the ferroelectric and dielectric stacks, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate a polarization switching pathway through an orthorhombic-tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transition in ferroelectric HfxZr1-xO2 where the non-polar tetragonal phase is metastable. Meanwhile, the phase transition pathway under electric field is experimentally demonstrated by in-situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurement. Furthermore, by engineering the energy barrier of reversible orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition through controlling the defects and interface properties, a low coercive field ~0.6 MV/cm and a low operation voltage

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63298-1

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