Hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric field effect transistors: From materials and reliability to applications in storage-class memory and in-memory computing

Abstract

Hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) are redefining non-volatile memory (NVM) by enabling low-power, high-speed, and compatibility with advanced complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor nodes. Exploiting polarization-induced threshold voltage shifts in ultra-scaled gate stacks, FeFETs achieve sub-5 V write voltages, <10 ns switching, on/off ratios >103, >106 s data retention, and endurance up to 108 cycles under optimized stress. This review consolidates recent advances in orthorhombic phase stabilization via dopant engineering, interfacial optimization, and defect dynamics that dictate performance variability. Compared to resistive RAM, phase-change, magnetic, and flash memories, FeFETs demonstrate superior integration potential for storage-class memory and compute-in-memory applications. Silicon-channel devices already achieve <100 ns read/write speeds and programming energy near 100 fJ/bit, with scalability beyond the 28 nm node. Innovations—such as La doping, asymmetric gate stacks, and oxide semiconductors, such as indium gallium zinc oxide and molybdenum sulfide—have enabled sub-1 V operation and endurance >1010 cycles. Reliability concerns including wake-up and fatigue are linked to oxygen vacancy migration, interface trap formation, and phase boundary evolution, elucidated through cycling endurance, data retention, and low-frequency noise analysis. We also highlight industrial progress in stacked FeFET arrays and 3D NVM structures, targeting commercialization by 2028–2030. This article charts a complete trajectory from material to system level, establishing FeFETs as a cornerstone for secure, fast, and energy-efficient next-generation memory.