Direct Probing of Polarization Charge at Nanoscale Level

Spatially-Resolved Study of the Electronic Transport and Resistive Switching in Polycrystalline Bismuth Ferrite

Ferroelectric materials attract much attention for applications in resistive memory devices due to the large current difference between insulating and conductive states and the ability of carefully controlling electronic transport via the polarization set-up. Bismuth ferrite films are of special interest due to the combination of high spontaneous polarization and antiferromagnetism, implying the possibility to provide multiple physical mechanisms for data storage and operations. Macroscopic conductivity measurements are often hampered to unambiguously characterize the electric transport, because of the strong influence of the diverse material microstructure. Here, we studied the electronic transport and resistive switching phenomena in polycrystalline bismuth ferrite using advanced conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) at different temperatures and electric fields. The new approach to the CAFM spectroscopy and corresponding data analysis are proposed, which allow deep insight into the material band structure at high lateral resolution. Contrary to many studies via macroscopic methods, postulating electromigration of the oxygen vacancies, we demonstrate resistive switching in bismuth ferrite to be caused by the pure electronic processes of trapping/releasing electrons and injection of the electrons by the scanning probe microscopy tip. The electronic transport was shown to be comprehensively described by the combination of the space charge limited current model, while a Schottky barrier at the interface is less important due to the presence of the built-in subsurface charge.

Highly enhanced ferroelectricity in HfO2-based ferroelectric thin film by light ion bombardment

Continuous advancement in nonvolatile and morphotropic beyond-Moore electronic devices requires integration of ferroelectric and semiconductor materials. The emergence of hafnium oxide (HfO₂)-based ferroelectrics that are compatible with atomic-layer deposition has opened interesting and promising avenues of research. However, the origins of ferroelectricity and pathways to controlling it in HfO₂ are still mysterious. We demonstrate that local helium (He) implantation can activate ferroelectricity in these materials. The possible competing mechanisms, including He ion-induced molar volume changes, vacancy redistribution, vacancy generation, and activation of vacancy mobility, are analyzed. These findings both reveal the origins of ferroelectricity in this system and open pathways for nanoengineered binary ferroelectrics.

Enhanced Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties in Graphene-Electroded Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Thin Films

While using ferroelectric polarization to tune the functional properties of 2D materials has been extensively studied recently, the effects of 2D materials on the ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity of ferroelectrics are much less explored. In this work, we report markedly enhanced ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of graphene/Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃/SrRuO₃ (GR/PZT/SRO) capacitors. Compared with conventional metal-electroded ferroelectric capacitors, the GR/PZT/SRO capacitors exhibit more abrupt polarization switching, larger switchable polarization, lower leakage current, and smaller coercive voltage. Moreover, with graphene electrodes, the ferroelectric properties of PZT capacitors are much more stable against aging. The enhanced ferroelectric behaviors in GR/PZT/SRO capacitors can be attributed to an improved interface with fewer defects and inhibited growth of defective interfacial layer resulting from the graphene protection. Because of the atomic thickness and extraordinary mechanical flexibility of graphene, the piezoelectric response in PZT with graphene electrode is about four times larger than the one with an Au electrode. Our findings on the enhanced ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT with 2D electrodes advance the understanding of the 2D/PZT interface and provide solutions for developing high-performance ferroelectrics devices.

Accessing nanoscopic polarization reversal processes in an organic ferroelectric thin film

Towards eliminating toxic substances from electronic devices, Croconic Acid (CA) has great potential as a sublimable organic ferroelectric material. While studies on CA thin films are just beginning to emerge, its capability to be integrated in nanodevices remains unexplored. We demonstrate at the laterally nanoscopic scale robust ferroelectric switching of a stable enduring polarization at room temperature in CA thin films, without leakage. The challenging ferroelectric characterization at the nanoscale is performed using a unique combination of piezoresponse force microscopy, polarization switching current spectroscopy and concurrent strain response. This helps rationalize the otherwise asymmetric polarization-voltage hysteresis due to background noise limited undetectable switching currents, which are statistically averaged in macrojunctions but become prevalent at the nanoscale. Apart from successfully estimating the nanoscopic polarization in CA thin films, we show that CA is a promising lead-free organic ferroelectric towards nanoscale device integration. Our results, being valid irrespective of the ferroelectrics' nature; organic or inorganic, pave the way for fundamental understandings and technological applications of nanoscopic polarization reversal mechanisms.

Quantitative Local Probing of Polarization with Application on HfO2 -Based Thin Films

Owing to their switchable spontaneous polarization, ferroelectric materials have been applied in various fields, such as information technologies, actuators, and sensors. In the last decade, as the characteristic sizes of both devices and materials have decreased significantly below the nanoscale, the development of appropriate characterization tools became essential. Recently, a technique based on conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM), called AFM-positive-up-negative-down (PUND), is employed for the direct measurement of ferroelectric polarization under the AFM tip. However, the main limitation of AFM-PUND is the low frequency (i.e., on the order of a few hertz) that is used to initiate ferroelectric hysteresis. A significantly higher frequency is required to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and the measurement efficiency. In this study, a novel method based on high-frequency AFM-PUND using continuous waveform and simultaneous signal acquisition of the switching current is presented, in which polarization-voltage hysteresis loops are obtained on a high-polarization BiFeO₃ nanocapacitor at frequencies up to 100 kHz. The proposed method is comprehensively evaluated by measuring nanoscale polarization values of the emerging ferroelectric Hf_0.5 Zr_0.5 O₂ under the AFM tip.

Boosting Polarization Switching-Induced Current Injection by Mechanical Force in Ferroelectric Thin Films

When scaling the lateral size of a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) device down to the nanometer range, the polarization switching-induced displacement current becomes small and challenging to detect, which greatly limits the storage density of FeRAM. Here, we report the observation of significantly enhanced injection currents, much larger than typical switching currents, induced by polarization switching in BiFeO₃ thin films via conductive atomic force microscopy. Interestingly, this injected current can be effectively modulated by applying mechanical force. As the loading force increases from ∼50 to ∼750 nN, the magnitude of the injected current increases and the critical voltage to trigger the current injection decreases. Notably, changing the loading force by an order of magnitude increases the peak current by 2-3 orders of magnitude. The mechanically boosted injected current could be useful for the development of high-density FeRAM devices. The mechanical modulation of the injected current may be attributed to the mechanical force-induced changes in the barrier height and interfacial layer width.

Piezoresponse in Ferroelectric Materials under Uniform Electric Field of Electrodes

The analytical solution for the displacements of an anisotropic piezoelectric material in the uniform electric field is presented for practical use in the "global excitation mode" of piezoresponse force microscopy. The solution is given in the Wolfram Mathematica interactive program code, allowing the derivation of the expression of the piezoresponse both in cases of the anisotropic and isotropic elastic properties. The piezoresponse's angular dependencies are analyzed using model lithium niobate and barium titanate single crystals as examples. The validity of the isotropic approximation is verified in comparison to the fully anisotropic solution. The approach developed in the paper is important for the quantitative measurements of the piezoelectric response in nanomaterials as well as for the development of novel piezoelectric materials for the sensors/actuators applications.

Time-resolved open-circuit conductive atomic force microscopy for direct electromechanical characterisation

Studying nanomaterial piezoelectricity and triboelectricity is attractive for energy and sensing applications. However, quantitative characterisation of electromechanical effects in nanomaterials is challenging due to practical limitations and possible combination of effects, resulting in contradicting reports at times. When it comes to piezoelectricity at the nanoscale, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is the default characterisation tool. In PFM the converse piezoelectric effect is measured - the conversion from electrical signal to mechanical response. However, there is an underlying desire to measure the direct piezoelectric effect - conversion of mechanical deformation to an electrical signal. This corresponds to energy harvesting and sensing. Here we present time-resolved open-circuit conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) as a new methodology to carry out direct electromechanical characterisation. We show, both theoretically and experimentally, that the standard short-circuit cAFM mode is inadequate for piezoelectric characterisation, and that resulting measurements are governed by competing mechanisms. We apply the new methodology to nanowires of GaAs, an important semiconductor, with relatively low piezoelectric coefficients. The results suggest that time-resolved operation distinguishes between triboelectric and piezoelectric signals, and that by measuring the open-circuit voltage rather than short-circuit current, the new methodology allows quantitative characterisation of the vertical piezoelectric coefficient. The result for GaAs nanowires, ∼ 1-3 pm V^-1, is in good agreement with existing knowledge and theory. This method represents a significant advance in understanding the coexistence of different electromechanical effects, and in quantitative piezoelectric nanoscale characterisation. The easy implementation will enable better understanding of electromechanics at the nanoscale.

Recent Progress in the Nanoscale Evaluation of Piezoelectric and Ferroelectric Properties via Scanning Probe Microscopy

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials have garnered significant interest owing to their excellent physical properties and multiple potential applications. Accordingly, the need for evaluating piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties has also increased. The piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties are evaluated macroscopically using laser interferometers and polarization-electric field loop measurements. However, as the research focus is shifted from bulk to nanosized materials, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have been suggested as an alternative approach for evaluating piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties. In this Progress Report, the recent progress on the nanoscale evaluation of piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of diverse materials using SPM-based methods is summarized. Among the SPM techniques, the focus is on recent studies that are related to piezoresponse force microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy; further, the utilization of these two modes to understand piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties at the nanoscale level is discussed. This work can provide guidelines for evaluating the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of materials based on SPM techniques.

Multiscale structural engineering of dielectric ceramics for energy storage applications: from bulk to thin films

Dielectric capacitors with the prominent features of ultrafast charging-discharging rates and ultrahigh power densities are ubiquitous components in modern electronics. To meet the growing demand for electronics miniaturization, dielectric capacitors with high energy storage properties are extensively researched. Here we present an overview of the recent progress in the engineering of multiscale structures of dielectric ceramics ranging from bulk to thin films. This article commences with a brief introduction of the fundamentals of dielectric ceramics, including primary parameters, a library of dielectric ceramics, and multiscale structures. Emphases are placed on the relationship between multiscale structures and energy storage properties and the rational structure design principles in dielectric ceramics. Also included are currently available multilayer ceramic capacitors based on multiscale engineered ceramic structures. Finally, challenges along with opportunities for further research and development of high-performance dielectric ceramics for electrostatic energy storage are highlighted.