Growth of wurtzite ferroelectrics

Thin films with wurtzite crystal structure feature some of the best compatibility with the major semiconductor platforms among ferroelectrics, as well as high remanent polarization, excellent stability, and scalability; making them very attractive for microelectronics applications ranging from memories to sensors and actuators. Their intrinsic functionality, which enables these applications directly links device performance to the underlying growth processes. This article gives an overview of the three main deposition methods for the material class (sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, metal–organic chemical vapor deposition), their individual advantages as well as how they can contribute to solving the main challenges that remain to be overcome in order to bring wurtzite ferroelectrics to large-scale applications. Furthermore, it differentiates the growth of wurtzite ferroelectrics from that of more established thin-film ferroelectrics.