TOTAL-DOSE EFFECT ON FERROELECTRIC PZT CAPACITORS USED AS NONVOLATILE STORAGE ELEMENTS

This paper examines the effects of ionizing radiation on the retained polarization of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films. The retained polarization is the key parameter in measuring the radiation tolerance of the PZT storage element in a non-volatile memory. Data from the retained polarization measurement show a larger radiation-induced degradation than has generally been reported using the traditional hysteresis loop method for:measuring remanent polarization. it appears that the difference is due in part to a cycling-induced annealing effect during the hysteresis loop measurement.