Engineering ScAlN Polar Properties for Advanced Electronic and Synaptic Applications

Scandium-doped aluminum nitride (ScAlN) has emerged as a wide-bandgap ferroelectric material with exceptional potential for next-generation electronic devices due to its tunable polar properties, high breakdown field, and strong spontaneous polarization. Compared to conventional nitride semiconductors, there is still a gap in a comprehensive overview of the connection between material growth and device application. Herein, we summarize the development in material growth, fundamental properties, and device applications of ScAlN. We evaluate growth techniques and highlight their impact on crystallinity, defect density, and underlying mechanisms. More importantly, we discuss the integration of ScAlN and challenges in the advanced devices, including power electronic devices, artificial synapses, resonators, and filters. This perspective provides a strategic insight for future research, aiming to accelerate the development of high-performance, multifunctional ScAlN-based devices.