Ferroelectric materials for dynamic-memory integrated circuits

The possibilities of using ferroelectric materials for new generations of i ntegrated circuits for high-density dynamic memory (up to 1 Gbit per crysta l) are discussed. The correspondence of the specific capacitance and leakag e currents of thin film ferroelectric capacitors to the requirements for in tegrated circuits with various information capacities is examined. It is sh own that the capacitance-voltage characteristic of the ferroelectric strong ly influences the specific capacitance and the rate of decrease of the volt age across the capacitors when they are discharged in the process of storin g information. The prospects for increasing the specific capacitance of mem ory capacitors using relaxor ferroelectrics are examined. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842(99)01505-6].