20 ps Non-Destructive Read and 1 ns Write Operations at <5 V in Ferroelectric HfO 2 /ZrO 2 Non-Volatile Memories

Achieving low-voltage, nanosecond multilevel programming and non-destructive read-out of ferroelectric non-volatile memories (NVM) is critical for analog in-memory computing architectures relying on ferroelectric capacitive devices (FeCap). We integrate$\text{HfO}_{2} / \text{ZrO}_{2}$ferroelectric nanolayers concurrently in the BEOL of CMOS and on$\text{SiO}_{2} / \text{Si}$, achieving nanosecond multilevel switching with programming voltages below 5 V. Partial ferroelectric switching enhances FeCap endurance above 1011cycles, leading to MemCapacitance (MC) states with non-destructive read-out and$\mathbf{1 0}$-year retention. However, experiments reveal the collapse of the MC window for read frequencies above 1 MHz. To overcome this speed limit, we introduce a novel, non-destructive readout methodology. Using electrical pulses with widths down to 20 ps, below the RC time constant of the FeCaps, we enable measurement of the polarization-dependent leakage current, providing ultrafast and non-destructive read operations at only 14 fJ.