Measurement and simulation of partial switching in ferroelectric PZT thin-films

In digital memory applications, metal ferroelectric metal (MFM) capacitors are typically fully switched from one polarization state to the other, with the difference in displacement current allowing determination of the cell state. However, by applying a pulse of insufficient amplitude and/or duration to fully switch the ferroelectric, such a device may be partially polarized. Here, the measurement of partial switching in sol-gel derived PZT MFM capacitors due to applied voltage pulses is reported. SPICE, a commonly used circuit simulation program, has been modified to incorporate a ferroelectric capacitor device model. The MFM device model added to SPICE is reviewed, and the simulation of partial switching is demonstrated. Simulation results modeling the PE hysteresis loops and switching transients due to applied voltage steps closely match those measured in the laboratory. We conclude with the modeling of incomplete switching due to applied pulses of insufficient amplitude to cause polarization saturation, which is attributed to the polycrystalline nature of the thin-films.