arXiv subjects

Asif I. Khan

Publications and source records attributed to Asif I. Khan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Tuning the Coercive Field in Ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-Al2O3 Heterostructures via Interfacial Charge Dynamics

Interleaving dielectric layers into ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) films increases the memory window (MW) beyond what is accounted for by the dielectric constants. Determining the physical mechanisms behind these MW improvements is critical to reaching the full potential of HZO FeNAND. Here, we show that MW improvements stem from the interfacial charge dynamics enabled by oxygen vacancies at the interlayer interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) etching experiments demonstrate increased off-stoichiometry at the interface, with a 2.3x increase in oxygen vacancies. Polarization-dependent XPS and first-order reversal curves(FORC) show that tunneling between interfacial defect states causes a bidirectional internal bias of 0.56MV/cm. The impact of defects is further corroborated through phase-field modeling(PFM), which only recreates the coercive fields, FORC, and internal bias for defect densities and tunneling barrier heights that are consistent with experiment, quantitatively capturing an internal electric field of 0.55 MV/cm. The phase field models are then used to simulate 36 devices with varied charge densities and dielectric thickness to provide a predictive framework for further improvements in the MW of interlayer HZO. These findings redefine the role of defects in ferroelectric HZO from deleterious to engineerable and provide critical insights into how to tune ferroelectric device architectures for improved memory.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Differential voltage amplification from ferroelectric negative capacitance

It is well known that one needs an external source of energy to provide voltage amplification. Because of this, conventional circuit elements such as resistors, inductors or capacitors cannot provide amplification all by themselves. Here, we demonstrate that a ferroelectric can cause a differential amplification without needing such an external energy source. As the ferroelectric switches from one polarization state to the other, a transfer of energy takes place from the ferroelectric to the dielectric, determined by the ratio of their capacitances, which, in turn, leads to the differential amplification. {This amplification is very different in nature from conventional inductor-capacitor based circuits where an oscillatory amplification can be observed. The demonstration of differential voltage amplification from completely passive capacitor elements only, has fundamental ramifications for next generation electronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Electrically Induced, Non-Volatile, Metal Insulator Transition in a Ferroelectric Gated MoS$_2$ Transistor

We demonstrate an electrically induced, non-volatile, metal-insulator phase transition in a MoS$_2$ transistor. A single crystalline, epitaxially grown, PbZr$_{0.2}$Ti$_{0.8}$O$_3$ (PZT) was placed in the gate of a field effect transistor made of thin film MoS$_2$. When a gate voltage is applied to this ferroelectric gated transistor, a clear transition from insulator to metal and vice versa is observed. Importantly, when the gate voltage is turned off, the remnant polarization in the ferroelectric can keep the MoS$_2$ in its original phase, thereby providing a non-volatile state. Thus a metallic or insulating phase can be written, erased or retained simply by applying a gate voltage to the transistor.

physics.app-ph↗