Perspectives on nitride ferroelectric semiconductors: Challenges and opportunities

The recent demonstration of ferroelectricity in nitride materials has enabled a broad spectrum of applications across electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, photonics, ferroelectrics, acoustoelectronics, and quantum devices and systems. Ensuring that nitride ferroelectrics meet the rigorous demands of modern microelectronics and photonics necessitates addressing significant challenges, such as large coercive fields, low endurance, poor stability, high leakage current, and high optical loss. In this perspective, we review the latest advancements, highlight the distinctive properties and notable achievements of nitride ferroelectrics, and delve into their origins, material synthesis, operational mechanisms and devices. Moreover, we highlight the principal obstacles faced by nitride ferroelectrics in practical applications. Finally, we discuss potential solutions, future research directions, and the prospects for further advancements in this rapidly evolving domain.