Defect-Controlled Resistance Degradation of Sputtered Lead Zirconate Titanate Thin Films

Oxygen vacancy migration and lead vacancy hole trapping were identified in sputtered lead zirconate titanate thin film by thermally stimulated depolarization current measurement and charge-based deep level transient spectroscopy. The oxygen and lead vacancy were correlated to the first and second wave of resistance degradation, respectively, by the wafer-level process nonuniformity in both electric field polarities, which gives alternatives to process assessment. The concentration of both defects can be controlled by process variations, and the resulting resistance degradation can be modelled using Schottky-limited conduction and two independent defect contributions.