UC Berkeley-led researchers make titanium dioxide ferroelectric below 3 nanometres
Updated
Updated · Berkeley Engineering · May 4
UC Berkeley-led researchers make titanium dioxide ferroelectric below 3 nanometres
5 articles · Updated · Berkeley Engineering · May 4
The Science study found the effect stays stable at about 1nm and on silicon and amorphous carbon substrates, with work involving Lawrence Berkeley and SLAC researchers.
The team said ultrathin TiO₂ could support faster, lower-power non-volatile memory, logic devices and 3D integrated electronics while fitting existing chipmaking processes.
Researchers said films can be grown below 400C using atomic layer deposition, and the result suggests other common binary oxides may gain new electronic properties at atomic-scale thickness.
As titanium dioxide enters the race for next-gen chips, can it truly outperform the reigning hafnium-oxide champion in performance and reliability?
If simply shrinking a material can unlock new powers, what other common substances could secretly become super-materials at the atomic scale?
Stable Ferroelectricity in Titanium Dioxide Films Down to 1 Nanometer Enables Next-Generation Nanoelectronics
Overview
In April 2026, a team from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory discovered that titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films thinner than 3 nanometers become ferroelectric due to breaking of structural inversion symmetry. This ferroelectric phase remains stable down to just 1 nanometer, enabled by a unique reverse size effect involving surface energy and negative piezoelectric response. The films were synthesized using low-temperature atomic layer deposition, allowing growth on various substrates and seamless integration into existing semiconductor manufacturing. These properties give ultrathin TiO₂ advantages like CMOS compatibility and high reliability, unlocking applications in ultra-dense memory, energy-efficient logic, 3D integration, and neuromorphic computing. Experts see this as a paradigm shift with commercial devices expected by 2030.