NEUTRON-IRRADIATION EFFECTS ON PZT THIN-FILMS FOR NONVOLATILE-MEMORY APPLICATIONS

This paper examines the effects of neutron irradiation on ferroelectric (FE) lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin films. The data show only a slight loss in the FE switched charge, as measured by the hysteresis loop, up to 1 x 10(15) n/cm2. The retained polarization, as measured by a pulse technique, showed a larger loss of remanent polarization which saturated at the lowest fluence measured (1 x 10(13) n/cm2). However, in neither case does it appear that the film was degraded sufficiently to cause devices made from sol-gel PZT to "fail" at fluences at or below 1 x 10(15) n/cm2. The endurance characteristics of the film were unchanged due to neutron irradiation.