# Functional ferroelectric tunnel junctions on silicon

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a new type of non-volatile memory device using ferroelectric tunnel junctions on silicon, which could outperform flash memory in speed and endurance.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates high-quality ferroelectric tunnel junctions epitaxially grown on silicon with promising memory performance.

## Key findings

- Ferroelectric tunnel junctions on silicon show high write speed and data retention.
- The devices exhibit better fatigue properties compared to flash memory.
- Epitaxial quality of the perovskite films was confirmed using X-ray and electron microscopy.

## Abstract

The quest for solid state non-volatility memory devices on silicon with high storage density, high speed, low power consumption has attracted intense research on new materials and novel device architectures. Although flash memory dominates in the non-volatile memory market currently, it has drawbacks, such as low operation speed, and limited cycle endurance, which prevents it from becoming the “universal memory”. In this report, we demonstrate ferroelectric tunnel junctions (Pt/BaTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3) epitaxially grown on silicon substrates. X-ray diffraction spectra and high resolution transmission electron microscope images prove the high epitaxial quality of the single crystal perovskite films grown on silicon. Furthermore, the write speed, data retention and fatigue properties of the device compare favorably with flash memories. The results prove that the silicon-based ferroelectric tunnel junction is a very promising candidate for application in future non-volatile memories.