Nonpolar‐Induced Anisotropic Ferroelectric Properties in HfO 2 ‐Based Thin Films: A Phase‐Field Simulation

Hafnium‐oxide‐based ferroelectric materials have great potential for application in next‐generation electronic devices, and a comprehensive understanding of their ferroelectric properties remains limited by the presence of continuous polar layers along the x ‐axis ([100]) and alternating nonpolar and polar layers along the y ‐axis ([010]). In this study, a phase‐field simulation was applied to study the ferroelectric properties of Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 (HZO) thin films with different polar arrangements. The simulation results show that ferroelectric HZO thin films with alternating nonpolar layers in the y − z plane exhibit larger polarization and coercive fields than those with continuous polar layers in the x − z plane. The influence of the multi‐domain (180° domain) in HZO thin films with different polar arrangements was further elaborated. These findings advance our understanding of hafnium oxide imprinting mechanisms and offer practical suggestions for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of hafnium oxide‐based ferroelectric devices.