WSe2 growth on hafnium zirconium oxide by molecular beam epitaxy: the effect of the WSe2 growth conditions on the ferroelectric properties of HZO

Direct integration of transition metal dichalcogenides on a ferroelectric such as hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) using an industrially scalable technique is important for realizing various ferroelectric-based device architectures. The interface formed due to the processing conditions during direct deposition is the focus of the current study. In this work, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is used to directly deposit WSe2 on HZO substrates, and the effects of the MBE growth conditions, specifically high temperature and a high Se flux, are examined. Anneals of HZO under a Se flux, which serve to replicate the conditions during actual WSe2 deposition, result in the crystallization of amorphous as-deposited HZO substrates and incorporation of Se into the HZO. The crystallinity and composition of the HZO substrates affect the degree of Se incorporation. Some of the Se found in the HZO is an adsorbed layer that can be thermally desorbed, but it also has a chemisorbed component fully incorporated within the HZO lattice. Measurement of the electrical properties of the HZO films did not provide evidence that the incorporated Se was detrimental to the functionality of the HZO as a ferroelectric layer.