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arXiv · 2503.23880

Can a ferroelectric diode be a selector-less, universal, non-volatile memory?

Soumya Sarkar·Xiwen Liu·Deep Jariwala
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Abstract

Recent advances in silicon foundry-process compatible ferroelectric (FE) thin films have reinvigorated interest in FE-based non-volatile memory (NVM) devices. Ferroelectric diodes (FeDs) are two-terminal NVM devices exhibiting rectifying current-voltage hysteretic characteristics that enable self-selecting designs critical for high-density memory. We examine progress in FeDs based on CMOS-compatible HZO, AlScN, and emerging van der Waals ferroelectrics. While FeDs demonstrate promising ON/OFF ratios and rectification capabilities, they face persistent challenges including limited write-cycling endurance, elevated operating voltages, and insufficient read currents. We provide materials-focused strategies to enhance reliability and performance of FeDs for energy-efficient electronic memory applications, with emphasis on their unique self-rectifying capabilities that eliminate the need for selector elements in crossbar arrays for compute in memory applications.

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Soumya Sarkar, Xiwen Liu, Deep Jariwala. 2025-03-31. Can a ferroelectric diode be a selector-less, universal, non-volatile memory?. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.23880

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