Yingfen Wei

Editor’s summary Abstract Supplementary Materials References and Notes Information & Authors Metrics & Citations Check Access References Figures Tables Media Share Editor’s summary Scandium doping of aluminum nitride ferroelectrics creates atomic-scale heterogeneity and dipole superstructures that lead to a noncollective, stepwise polarization switching. Zheng et al.

A role for vacancies Hafnia-based materials are of interest because of their potential use in microelectronic components. Hafnia-oxide is a ferroelectric material, but whether the polarization switching comes from the polar crystal phases or the migration of oxygen vacancies has remained an open question. Nukala et al. attempted to resolve this controversy by conducting electron microscopy during the operation of a hafnium zirconium oxide capacitor.

Abstract Unconventional ferroelectricity exhibited by hafnia-based thin films, robust at nanoscale sizes, presents tremendous opportunities in nanoelectronics. However, the exact nature of polarization switching remains controversial. We investigated La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 capacitor interfaced with various top electrodes while in situ electrical biasing using atomic resolution microscopy with direct oxygen imaging, as well as synchrotron nanobeam diffraction.