Injection charge assisted polarization reversal in ferroelectric thin films

Kim, Yunseok; Bühlmann, Simon; Hong, Seungbum; Kim, Seung Hyun; No, Kwangsoo

doi:10.1063/1.2679902

Cited by 59 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Several subsequent scans of the same region revealed that the mechanically written domains were robust even when imaged with a grounded tip under normal loading force, excluding the possibility of the grounded tip causing the reorganization of the domain structure. [30] These results suggest a domain rearrangement mechanism, involving interplay between ferroelectric and ferroelastic switching, which could be induced by either electric field, localized stress or a combination of the two stimuli. [31] In order to systematically probe and isolate the role of applied stress during switching, an adaptation of the switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM) technique with direct control over the applied tip force was used.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Probing of Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Switching through Stress‐Mediated Piezoelectric Spectroscopy

Edwards

Brewer

Cao

et al. 2016

Adv Materials Inter

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Strain effects have a significant role in mediating classic ferroelectric behavior such as polarization switching and domain wall dynamics. These effects are of critical relevance if the ferroelectric order parameter is coupled to strain and is therefore, also ferroelastic. Here, switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS‐PFM) is combined with control of applied tip pressure to exert direct control over the ferroelastic and ferroelectric switching events, a modality otherwise unattainable in traditional PFM. As a proof of concept, stress‐mediated SS‐PFM is applied toward the study of polarization switching events in a lead zirconate titanate thin film, with a composition near the morphotropic phase boundary with co‐existing rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. Under increasing applied pressure, shape modification of local hysteresis loops is observed, consistent with a reduction in the ferroelastic domain variants under increased pressure. These experimental results are further validated by phase field simulations. The technique can be expanded to explore more complex electromechanical responses under applied local pressure, such as probing ferroelectric and ferroelastic piezoelectric nonlinearity as a function of applied pressure, and electro‐chemo‐mechanical response through electrochemical strain microscopy.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Probing of Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Switching through Stress‐Mediated Piezoelectric Spectroscopy

Edwards

Brewer

Cao

et al. 2016

Adv Materials Inter

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“…For polarization, the underpinning phenomena are similar, except that regions with switched polarization play the role of a virtual electrode. The accumulation, injection, and transport of ionic charge now becomes an inherent part of the switching process, as illustrated by phenomena such as the formation of bubble domains during back switching, 80,242 domain shape stability loss, 85 and chaos 86 during ferroelectric switching.…”

Section: A Surface Ionic Screeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since then, this chemical screening behavior was explored in depth in a beautiful set of experimental and theoretical work by a group at Argonne, 78,79 and further evidence of surface screening behavior was gained via observations of e.g. back switching [80][81][82][83][84] and chaotic screening of ferroelectrics by PFM. 85,86 However, these studies demonstrated that KPFM (or any other long-range field contrast) is controlled by the interplay between polarization and (poorly understood and controlled) screening and charging processes, and does not provide information on ferroelectric behavior per se.…”

Section: Iia Basic Pfmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ferroelectric or non-ferroelectric: Why so many materials exhibit “ferroelectricity” on the nanoscale

Vasudevan

Balke

Maksymovych

et al. 2017

Applied Physics Reviews

270

206

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Ferroelectric materials have remained one of the foci of condensed matter physics and materials science for over 50 years. In the last 20 years, the development of voltage-modulated scanning probe microscopy techniques, exemplified by Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and associated time-and voltage spectroscopies, opened a pathway to explore these materials on a single-digit nanometer level. Consequently, domain structures, walls and polarization dynamics can now be imaged in real space. More generally, PFM has allowed studying electromechanical coupling in a broad variety of materials ranging from ionics to biological systems. It can also be anticipated that the recent Nobel prize 1 in molecular electromechanical machines will result in rapid growth in interest in PFM as a method to probe their behavior on single device and device assembly levels. However, the broad introduction of PFM also resulted in a growing number of reports on nearly-ubiquitous presence of ferroelectric-like phenomena including remnant polar states and electromechanical hysteresis loops in materials which are non-ferroelectric in the bulk, or in cases where size effects are expected to suppress ferroelectricity. While in certain cases plausible physical mechanisms can be suggested, there is remarkable similarity in observed behaviors, irrespective of the materials system. In this review, we summarize the basic principles of PFM, briefly discuss the features of ferroelectric surfaces salient to PFM imaging and spectroscopy, and summarize existing reports on ferroelectric-like responses in non-classical ferroelectric materials. We further discuss possible mechanisms behind observed behaviors, and possible experimental strategies for their identification.3

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“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Abnormal switching behaviors, including backswitching, 12,15,[21][22][23] polarization reversal by the "wrong" polarity of the switching voltage 7,11,17,19 and switching along the path of the unbiased SPM tip 18, 24 were reported. These phenomena were attributed to the charge injection 12,15 , screening of the applied electric fields 25 and ferroelastoelectric switching.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of switching against applied electric field, 12,15,19 electric field induces in the tip are due to the injection of the screening charges near the tip. In the case of backswitching with formation of the ring-shaped domains, 18,[21][22][23] this is due to charges on the charged domain walls of the non-through domain. The results of the analytical and numerical calculations demonstrate existence of the switching conditions under grounded SPM tip.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ferroelectric switching by the grounded scanning probe microscopy tip

et al. 2015

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Polarization reversal in ferroelectrics by the tip of scanning probe microscope was intensively studied for last two decades. In addition to classical domain formation and growth, a number of abnormal switching phenomena have been reported. In particularly, it was experimentally and theoretically shown that slow dynamics of the surface screening can control the kinetics of the ferroelectric switching, and result in backswitching and relaxation phenomena. Here, we experimentally demonstrated the practical possibility of the history dependent polarization reversal by the grounded SPM tip. This phenomenon was attributed to the induction of the slowly dissipating charges into the surface, which in the presence of the grounded tip induce polarization reversal. Analytical and numerical electrostatic calculations allow additional insight into the mechanisms of the observed phenomena. 3Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is one of the most popular techniques used for the complex investigations of the ferroelectric materials, allowing visualization of the static ferroelectric domain structures. [1][2][3] At the same time application of the electric field through conductive tip opens a pathway for manipulation with the domain structures on the nanoscale. 4, 5The process of the polarization reversal under the action of the electric field produced by the SPM tip was carefully studied by multiple scientific groups worldwide. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Abnormal switching behaviors, including backswitching, 12,15,[21][22][23] polarization reversal by the "wrong" polarity of the switching voltage 7,11,17,19 and switching along the path of the unbiased SPM tip 18, 24 were reported. These phenomena were attributed to the charge injection 12,15 , screening of the applied electric fields 25 and ferroelastoelectric switching. 7 Despite clear relevance to the qualitative and quantitative interpretation of PFM-derived data on polarization switching, exact origins of the observed phenomena remain poorly understood.Here we experimentally studied the process of the tip-induced polarization reversal in the vicinity of the flat domain wall in the thin periodically poled LiNbO 3 single crystal.Investigations demonstrated unexpected pronounced switching along the path of the grounded SPM tip at distances above 1 μm from the point of the field application. This switching led to the formation of sharp spikes on the initial flat domain wall and nanodomain chains. The obtained results were explained in terms of the spatial distribution of the electric field produced by freshly switched domains and grounded SPM tip. Analytical and numerical calculations of the electric field distribution showed presence of the pronounced induced electric field into the tip surface. Observed phenomenon allows explanation of number of the abnormal switching dynamics reported earlier. 12,15,18 However it gives rise to much wider set 4 of behaviors. For instance, it enables switching (not backswitching) by the grounded tip in th...

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Injection charge assisted polarization reversal in ferroelectric thin films

Cited by 59 publications

References 14 publications

Local Probing of Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Switching through Stress‐Mediated Piezoelectric Spectroscopy

Local Probing of Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Switching through Stress‐Mediated Piezoelectric Spectroscopy

Ferroelectric or non-ferroelectric: Why so many materials exhibit “ferroelectricity” on the nanoscale

Ferroelectric switching by the grounded scanning probe microscopy tip

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