Ferroelectricmaterials exhibit a spontaneous polarization that can be reversed by applyingan external electric field and that remains stable even in the absence of sucha field. Fluorite-type oxides, such as HfO₂ and Hf₀.₅Zr₀.₅O₂ (HZO), form aparticularly interesting class of ferroelectrics due to their compatibilitywith standard CMOS fabrication processes and their scalability to thicknessesbelow 10 nm. These properties have generated significant interest in developingnon-volatile memory technologies based on hafnium-oxide ferroelectrics.
Ferroelectricrandom-access memory (FeRAM) has consequently emerged as a promising candidatefor next-generation non-volatile memory, as it stores binary information usingthe stable remanent polarization state of a ferroelectric capacitor (FeCAP).This provides several advantages over conventional volatile dynamic RAM (DRAM),including non-volatility (no refresh), reduced power consumption, superiorscalability, and near-DRAM-level access times. Despite substantial improvementsin FeCAPs-the core memory element in FeRAM-several reliability challengesremain. In particular, wake-up (the needfor initial cycling to achieve the full memory window), fatigue (the reduction of the memory window during repeatedswitching), and imprint (the increasingdifficulty of switching the polarization state over time) continue to limitdevice performance and long-term reliability.
Theaim of this project is to investigate the degree to which wake-up, fatigue, andimprint are inter-related phenomena in FeCAP devices. This will be achievedprimarily through extensive electrical characterization of imec'sstate-of-the-art planar and 3D-trench FeCAPs. The primary objective is todetermine how changes induced by one phenomenon (e.g., wake-up) influencedevice sensitivity to the others (e.g., fatigue and/or imprint), ultimatelycontributing to a deeper understanding of reliability limitations inhafnium-based ferroelectric technologies.
Project Tasks and Objectives:
Type of internship: Master internship
Duration: 1 academic year
Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Physics
University promotor: Jan Van Houdt (KU Leuven)
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Jasper Bizindavyi (< email deleted for security reasons >) and Brecht Truijen (< email deleted for security reasons >)
The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-066. Mention this reference code in your application.
Applications should include the following information:
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Ferroelectricrandom-access memory (FeRAM) has consequently emerged as a promising candidatefor next-generation non-volatile memory, as it stores binary information usingthe stable remanent polarization state of a ferroelectric capacitor (FeCAP).This provides several advantages over conventional volatile dynamic RAM (DRAM),including non-volatility (no refresh), reduced power consumption, superiorscalability, and near-DRAM-level access times. Despite substantial improvementsin FeCAPs-the core memory element in FeRAM-several reliability challengesremain. In particular, wake-up (the needfor initial cycling to achieve the full memory window), fatigue (the reduction of the memory window during repeatedswitching), and imprint (the increasingdifficulty of switching the polarization state over time) continue to limitdevice performance and long-term reliability.
Theaim of this project is to investigate the degree to which wake-up, fatigue, andimprint are inter-related phenomena in FeCAP devices. This will be achievedprimarily through extensive electrical characterization of imec'sstate-of-the-art planar and 3D-trench FeCAPs. The primary objective is todetermine how changes induced by one phenomenon (e.g., wake-up) influencedevice sensitivity to the others (e.g., fatigue and/or imprint), ultimatelycontributing to a deeper understanding of reliability limitations inhafnium-based ferroelectric technologies.
Project Tasks and Objectives:
- Collaborate closely with imec's ferroelectric memory research team.
- Utilize imec's experimental facilities to apply advanced device-level characterization techniques on state-of-the-art FeCAP devices.
- Learn to analyze, interpret, and clearly present research findings to a technical audience.
Type of internship: Master internship
Duration: 1 academic year
Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Physics
University promotor: Jan Van Houdt (KU Leuven)
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Jasper Bizindavyi (< email deleted for security reasons >) and Brecht Truijen (< email deleted for security reasons >)
The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-066. Mention this reference code in your application.
Applications should include the following information:
- resume
- motivation
- current study
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
