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Volume 8
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10.3390/ceramics8040146
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Article

Point Defect Influence on Electrical Conductivity of Semiconducting Ferroelectric AlScN

by
Xiaoman Zhang
1,2,
Wangwang Xu
1,
Bipin Bhattarai
3,
Dominic A. Dalba
3,
Dilan M. Gamachchi
3,
Indeewari M. Karunarathne
3,
Yue Yu
4,
Nathan J. Pravda
4,
Ruotian Gong
4,
David Stalla
5,
Chong Zu
4,
W. J. Meng
1,* and
Andrew C. Meng
3,*
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
2
Department of Engineering and Industrial Professions, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL 35632, USA
3
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
4
Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
5
Electron Microscopy Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Ceramics 2025, 8(4), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8040146
Submission received: 25 September 2025 / Revised: 4 November 2025 / Accepted: 29 November 2025 / Published: 3 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Electronic Ceramics, 2nd Edition)
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Abstract

Aluminum scandium nitride (Al1−xScxN) is a promising ferroelectric material for non-volatile random-access memory devices and electromechanical sensors. However, adverse effects on polarization from electrical leakage are a significant concern for this material. We observed that the electrical conductivity of Al1−xScxN thin films grown on epitaxial TiN(111) buffered Si(111) follows an Arrhenius-type behavior versus the growth temperature, suggesting that point defect incorporation during growth influences the electronic properties of the film. Photoluminescence intensity shows an inverse correlation with growth temperature, which is consistent with increased non-radiative recombination from point defects. Further characterization using secondary ion mass spectrometry in a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope shows a correlation between trace Ti concentrations in Al1−xScxN films and the growth temperature, further suggesting that extrinsic dopants or alloying components potentially contribute to the point defect chemistry to influence electrical transport. Investigation of the enthalpy of formation of nitrogen vacancies in Al1−xScxN using density functional theory yields values that are in line with electrical conductivity measurements. Additionally, the dependence of nitrogen-vacancy formation energy on proximity to Sc atoms suggests that variations in the local structure may contribute to the occurrence of point defects, which, in turn, can impact electrical leakage. Furthermore, we have demonstrated ferroelectric behavior through electrical measurements and piezoresponse force microscopy after dc bias poling of films in spite of electrical conductivity spanning several orders of magnitude. Although electrical leakage remains a challenge in Al1−xScxN, the material holds potential due to tunable electrical conductivity as a semiconducting ferroelectric material.
Keywords: AlScN; ferroelectric; leakage; vacancy AlScN; ferroelectric; leakage; vacancy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, X.; Xu, W.; Bhattarai, B.; Dalba, D.A.; Gamachchi, D.M.; Karunarathne, I.M.; Yu, Y.; Pravda, N.J.; Gong, R.; Stalla, D.; et al. Point Defect Influence on Electrical Conductivity of Semiconducting Ferroelectric AlScN. Ceramics 2025, 8, 146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8040146

AMA Style

Zhang X, Xu W, Bhattarai B, Dalba DA, Gamachchi DM, Karunarathne IM, Yu Y, Pravda NJ, Gong R, Stalla D, et al. Point Defect Influence on Electrical Conductivity of Semiconducting Ferroelectric AlScN. Ceramics. 2025; 8(4):146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8040146

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Xiaoman, Wangwang Xu, Bipin Bhattarai, Dominic A. Dalba, Dilan M. Gamachchi, Indeewari M. Karunarathne, Yue Yu, Nathan J. Pravda, Ruotian Gong, David Stalla, and et al. 2025. "Point Defect Influence on Electrical Conductivity of Semiconducting Ferroelectric AlScN" Ceramics 8, no. 4: 146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8040146

APA Style

Zhang, X., Xu, W., Bhattarai, B., Dalba, D. A., Gamachchi, D. M., Karunarathne, I. M., Yu, Y., Pravda, N. J., Gong, R., Stalla, D., Zu, C., Meng, W. J., & Meng, A. C. (2025). Point Defect Influence on Electrical Conductivity of Semiconducting Ferroelectric AlScN. Ceramics, 8(4), 146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8040146

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