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Defect-Assisted Tunneling Electroresistance in Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions
Konstantin Klyukin1, L L Tao2, Evgeny Y Tsymbal2,3
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|August 18, 2018
Summary
Antisite defects in strontium titanate (SrTiO3) thin films enable ferroelectricity, enhancing electron tunneling in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs). This defect-assisted mechanism boosts performance for nanoelectronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Ferroelectricity observed in SrTiO3 thin films due to antisite Ti_Sr defects.
- Potential for SrTiO3 as a barrier layer in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) for nanoelectronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of antisite Ti_Sr defects in SrTiO3 ferroelectricity.
- Demonstrate defect-induced electron tunneling enhancement in Pt/SrTiO3/Pt FTJs.
- Analyze the control of tunneling conductance by ferroelectric polarization.
Main Methods:
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
- Quantum-transport simulations.
- Tight-binding modeling for multiple defects.
Main Results:
- Localized in-gap energy states from Ti_Sr defects enhance electron tunneling conductance.
- Tunneling conductance is controllable by ferroelectric polarization.
- Defect-assisted tunneling electroresistance effect is amplified when defect levels align with Fermi energy.
Conclusions:
- Antisite defects are key to ferroelectricity and enhanced tunneling in SrTiO3 FTJs.
- Ferroelectric polarization effectively controls defect-assisted electron transport.
- Findings guide the design of next-generation FTJs with improved performance.
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