Recent Research for HZO-Based Ferroelectric Memory towards In-Memory Computing Applications

Abstract

The AI and IoT era requires software and hardware capable of efficiently processing massive amounts data quickly and at a low cost. However, there are bottlenecks in existing Von Neumann structures, including the difference in the operating speed of current-generation DRAM and Flash memory systems, the large voltage required to erase the charge of nonvolatile memory cells, and the limitations of scaled-down systems. Ferroelectric materials are one exciting means of breaking away from this structure, as Hf-based ferroelectric materials have a low operating voltage, excellent data retention qualities, and show fast switching speed, and can be used as non-volatile memory (NVM) if polarization characteristics are utilized. Moreover, adjusting their conductance enables diverse computing architectures, such as neuromorphic computing with analog characteristics or ‘logic-in-memory’ computing with digital characteristics, through high integration. Several types of ferroelectric memories, including two-terminal-based FTJs, three-terminal-based FeFETs using electric field effect, and FeRAMs using ferroelectric materials as capacitors, are currently being studied. In this review paper, we include these devices, as well as a Fe-diode with high on/off ratio properties, which has a similar structure to the FTJs but operate with the Schottky barrier modulation. After reviewing the operating principles and features of each structure, we conclude with a summary of recent applications that have incorporated them.

Perspectives of Ferroelectric Wurtzite AlScN: Material Characteristics, Preparation, and Applications in Advanced Memory Devices

“…Indeed, innovating at the level of device materials and structures is often considered the most effective way to improve the performance of memory devices. This viewpoint has been proven in a considerable amount of research on ferroelectric memory devices such as FeRAM and FeFET, which are based on PZT [ 107 ] or HZO [ 108 ].…”

FASTA: Revisiting Fully Associative Memories in Computer Microarchitecture

“…Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) is a type of capacitor-based memory, where the ferroelectric material is used as the dielectric layer between two electrodes [36]. FeRAM has been in the market for some time and has niche usage in low-power-embedded systems, thanks to its speed, low power access, and low voltage operation.…”

A training method for deep neural network inference accelerators with high tolerance for their hardware imperfection

“…4) The concept of IMC, first mentioned by Kautz in 1969, 5) has since inspired the exploration of many engineers in this direction to mitigate the bottleneck. They implemented emerging memory technologies such as ReRAM, 6) FeRAM, 7) MRAM, 8) PCM, 9) and so on to achieve the IMC architecture.…”