Ferroelectric YAlN grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report the demonstration of ferroelectric switching in yttrium (Y)-doped nitride semiconductors. In this study, single-crystalline, wurtzite Y0.07Al0.93N films were epitaxially grown on GaN/sapphire templates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The process has been investigated current density–electric field (J-E) and polarization–electric (P-E) loops as well positive-up-negative-down measurements, showing a coercive ∼6 MV/cm switchable polarization ∼130 μC/cm2. Ferroelectric was further confirmed via butterfly shape capacitance–voltage (C-V) polarity-sensitive wet etching. realization ferroelectric, Y-doped AlN extends family ferroelectrics unravels wealth intriguing opportunities III-nitride based electronic, piezo-electronic, optoelectronic devices.