Total dose effect on ferroelectric PZT capacitors used as non-volatile storage elements

The effects of ionizing radiation on the retained polarization of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films are examined. The retained polarization is the key parameter in measuring the radiation tolerance of the PZT storage element in a nonvolatile memory. Data from the retained polarization measurement show a larger radiation-induced degradation that 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