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Direct observation of domain dynamics in lead zirconate titanate thin films

Publication Type

Journal Article

Authors

Ganpule, C.S, V Nagarajan, H Li, A.S Ogale, A.D Martinez, S.B Ogale, S Aggarwall, E Williams, P De Wolf, Ramamoorthy Ramesh

Abstract

We report observations of the ferroelectric domain structure in epitaxial lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ferroelectric thin films using piezoresponse microscopy. Epitaxial PZT films with a nominal composition of PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 were deposited onto single crystal SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition, with an epitaxial layer of La-Sr-Co-O as the bottom electrode. By manipulating the film thickness, a uniform 2-dimensional grid of 90° domains (a-domains, i.e., c-axis in the plane of the film) has been induced. Our studies show that the polarization direction in the film is substantially preferentially oriented and that nucleation of reverse 180° domains occurs preferentially at 90° domain interfaces. Polarization reversal occurs through the nucleation and subsequent growth of "semicircular/elliptical" reverse domains, which subsequently consume the entire region as a function of reversal time. The reversal is seen to fit a stretched exponential.

Journal

Integrated Ferroelectrics

Volume

Year of Publication

2001

ISSN

10584587

Notes

cited By 5

Research Areas

Ramesh Lab