1
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Zhang D, Sando D, Sharma P, Cheng X, Ji F, Govinden V, Weyland M, Nagarajan V, Seidel J. Superior polarization retention through engineered domain wall pinning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:349. [PMID: 31953393 PMCID: PMC6969134 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14250-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferroelectric materials possess a spontaneous polarization that is switchable by an electric field. Robust retention of switched polarization is critical for non-volatile nanoelectronic devices based on ferroelectrics, however, these materials often suffer from polarization relaxation, typically within days to a few weeks. Here we exploit designer-defect-engineered epitaxial BiFeO3 films to demonstrate polarization retention with virtually no degradation in switched nanoscale domains for periods longer than 1 year. This represents a more than 2000% improvement over the best values hitherto reported. Scanning probe microscopy-based dynamic switching measurements reveal a significantly increased activation field for domain wall movement. Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy indicates that nanoscale defect pockets pervade the entire film thickness. These defects act as highly efficient domain wall pinning centres, resulting in anomalous retention. Our findings demonstrate that defects can be exploited in a positive manner to solve reliability issues in ferroelectric films used in functional devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Daniel Sando
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, UNSW Sydney, High Street, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Pankaj Sharma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Xuan Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Fan Ji
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Vivasha Govinden
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew Weyland
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Valanoor Nagarajan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jan Seidel
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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2
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Holsgrove KM, Duchamp M, Moreno MS, Bernier N, Naden AB, Guy JGM, Browne N, Gupta A, Gregg JM, Kumar A, Arredondo M. Elastic distortion determining conduction in BiFeO 3 phase boundaries. RSC Adv 2020; 10:27954-27960. [PMID: 35519142 PMCID: PMC9055675 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra04358c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well-established that boundaries separating tetragonal-like (T) and rhombohedral-like (R) phases in BiFeO3 thin films can show enhanced electrical conductivity. However, the origin of this conductivity remains elusive. Here, we study mixed-phase BiFeO3 thin films, where local populations of T and R can be readily altered using stress and electric fields. We observe that phase boundary electrical conductivity in regions which have undergone stress-writing is significantly greater than in the virgin microstructure. We use high-end electron microscopy techniques to identify key differences between the R–T boundaries present in stress-written and as-grown microstructures, to gain a better understanding of the mechanism responsible for electrical conduction. We find that point defects (and associated mixed valence states) are present in both electrically conducting and non-conducting regions; crucially, in both cases, the spatial distribution of defects is relatively homogeneous: there is no evidence of phase boundary defect aggregation. Atomic resolution imaging reveals that the only significant difference between non-conducting and conducting boundaries is the elastic distortion evident – detailed analysis of localised crystallography shows that the strain accommodation across the R–T boundaries is much more extensive in stress-written than in as-grown microstructures; this has a substantial effect on the straightening of local bonds within regions seen to electrically conduct. This work therefore offers distinct evidence that the elastic distortion is more important than point defect accumulation in determining the phase boundary conduction properties in mixed-phase BiFeO3. The localized crystallography of conducting and non-conducting phase boundaries in mixed-phase BiFeO3 is directly compared using scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martial Duchamp
- Ernst-Ruska Centre for Microscopy
- Juelich
- Germany
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
| | | | | | - Aaron B. Naden
- School of Mathematics and Physics
- Queen's University Belfast
- UK
- University of St. Andrews
- UK
| | | | - Niall Browne
- School of Mathematics and Physics
- Queen's University Belfast
- UK
| | - Arunava Gupta
- Center for Materials and Information Technology
- University of Alabama
- USA
| | - J. Marty Gregg
- School of Mathematics and Physics
- Queen's University Belfast
- UK
| | - Amit Kumar
- School of Mathematics and Physics
- Queen's University Belfast
- UK
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3
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Wang C, Chen C, Chang CH, Tsai HS, Pandey P, Xu C, Böttger R, Chen D, Zeng YJ, Gao X, Helm M, Zhou S. Defect-Induced Exchange Bias in a Single SrRuO 3 Layer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:27472-27476. [PMID: 30033715 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b07918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Exchange bias stems from the interaction between different magnetic phases, and therefore, it generally occurs in magnetic multilayers. Here, we present a large exchange bias in a single SrRuO3 layer induced by helium ion irradiation. When the fluence increases, the induced defects not only suppress the magnetization and the Curie temperature but also drive a metal-insulator transition at a low temperature. In particular, a large exchange bias field up to ∼0.36 T can be created by the irradiation. This large exchange bias is related to the coexistence of different magnetic and structural phases that are introduced by embedded defects. Our work demonstrates that spintronic properties in complex oxides can be created and enhanced by applying ion irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changan Wang
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden , D-01062 Dresden , Germany
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Laser Engineering, College of Optoelectronic Engineering , Shenzhen University , 518060 Shenzhen , China
| | | | - Ching-Hao Chang
- Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research , Helmholtzstrasse 20 , 01069 Dresden , Germany
| | - Hsu-Sheng Tsai
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
| | - Parul Pandey
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
| | - Chi Xu
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
| | - Roman Böttger
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
| | | | - Yu-Jia Zeng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Laser Engineering, College of Optoelectronic Engineering , Shenzhen University , 518060 Shenzhen , China
| | | | - Manfred Helm
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden , D-01062 Dresden , Germany
| | - Shengqiang Zhou
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstr. 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany
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4
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Yao J, Song X, Gao X, Tian G, Li P, Fan H, Huang Z, Yang W, Chen D, Fan Z, Zeng M, Liu JM. Electrically Driven Reversible Magnetic Rotation in Nanoscale Multiferroic Heterostructures. ACS NANO 2018; 12:6767-6776. [PMID: 29957931 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b01936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Electrically driven magnetic switching (EDMS) is highly demanded for next-generation advanced memories or spintronic devices. The key challenge is to achieve repeatable and reversible EDMS at sufficiently small scale. In this work, we reported an experimental realization of room-temperature, electrically driven, reversible, and robust 120° magnetic state rotation in nanoscale multiferroic heterostructures consisting of a triangular Co nanomagnet array on tetragonal BiFeO3 films, which can be directly monitored by magnetic force microscope (MFM) imaging. The observed reversible magnetic switching in an individual nanomagnet can be triggered by a small electric pulse within 10 V with an ultrashort time of ∼10 ns, which also demonstrates sufficient switching cycling and months-long retention lifetime. A mechanism based on synergic effects of interfacial strain and exchange coupling plus shape anisotropy was also proposed, which was also verified by micromagnetic simulations. Our results create an avenue to engineer the nanoscale EDMS for low-power-consumption, high-density, nonvolatile magnetoelectric memories and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxiang Yao
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Xiao Song
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Xingsen Gao
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Guo Tian
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Peilian Li
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Hua Fan
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Zhifeng Huang
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Wenda Yang
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Deyang Chen
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Zhen Fan
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Min Zeng
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics , South China Normal University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Jun-Ming Liu
- Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 21009 , China
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5
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Sharma P, Kang KR, Liu YY, Jang BK, Li JY, Yang CH, Seidel J. Optimizing the electromechanical response in morphotropic BiFeO 3. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 29:205703. [PMID: 29480164 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aab226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P Sharma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
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6
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Kalinin SV, Strelcov E, Belianinov A, Somnath S, Vasudevan RK, Lingerfelt EJ, Archibald RK, Chen C, Proksch R, Laanait N, Jesse S. Big, Deep, and Smart Data in Scanning Probe Microscopy. ACS NANO 2016; 10:9068-9086. [PMID: 27676453 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b04212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have opened the door to nanoscience and nanotechnology by enabling imaging and manipulation of the structure and functionality of matter at nanometer and atomic scales. Here, we analyze the scientific discovery process in SPM by following the information flow from the tip-surface junction, to knowledge adoption by the wider scientific community. We further discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by merging SPM with advanced data mining, visual analytics, and knowledge discovery technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chaomei Chen
- College of Computing and Informatics, Drexel University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Roger Proksch
- Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company , Santa Barbara, California 93117, United States
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7
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Sharma P, Heo Y, Jang BK, Liu YY, Li JY, Yang CH, Seidel J. Structural and electronic transformation pathways in morphotropic BiFeO3. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32347. [PMID: 27581222 PMCID: PMC5007483 DOI: 10.1038/srep32347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase boundaries in multiferroics, in which (anti-)ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic order parameters coexist, enable manipulation of magnetism and electronic properties by external electric fields through switching of the polarization in the material. It has been shown that the strain-driven morphotropic phase boundaries in a single-phase multiferroic such as BiFeO3 (BFO) can exhibit distinct electronic conductivity. However, the control of ferroelectric and phase switching and its correlation with phase boundary conductivity in this material has been a significant challenge. Supported by a thermodynamic approach, here we report a concept to precisely control different switching pathways and the associated control of electronic conductivity in mixed phase BFO. This work demonstrates a critical step to control and use non-volatile strain-conductivity coupling at the nanoscale. Beyond this observation, it provides a framework for exploring a route to control multiple order parameters coupled to ferroelastic and ferroelectric order in multiferroic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sharma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Y Heo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - B-K Jang
- Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Y Y Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105, China
| | - J Y Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-2600, USA
| | - C-H Yang
- Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.,Institute for the NanoCentury, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - J Seidel
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
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8
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Liu J, Prashanthi K, Li Z, McGee RT, Ahadi K, Thundat T. Strain-induced electrostatic enhancements of BiFeO3 nanowire loops. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:22772-7. [PMID: 27477993 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp03068h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Semiconductor nanowires (NWs), due to their intriguing structural and physical properties, offer tremendous potential for future technological applications. The existence of strain in NWs can greatly affect, for instance, their mechanical, electrical and optical properties. Here, we report an extraordinary electrostatic response of semiconductor BiFeO3 NW loops, based on Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). A substantial ∼300 mV surface potential difference, accompanied by an ∼29% higher surface charge density, was found on the NW loop. We also found that the electrostatic enhancement is strongly related to the strain present at the curvature of the NW loops. We propose that the electric polarization coupled with mechanical strain (piezoelectric effect) or strain gradient (flexoelectricity) as possible reasons to account for our observation. These findings provide new insights into multiferroic based semiconductor NWs under external stimuli as well as significant inspiration towards strain sensors and electromechanical devices with multifunctional sensing abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada.
| | - Kovur Prashanthi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada.
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada.
| | - Ryan T McGee
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada.
| | - Kaveh Ahadi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada. and Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, USA
| | - Thomas Thundat
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada.
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9
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Morelli A, Johann F, Burns SR, Douglas A, Gregg JM. Deterministic Switching in Bismuth Ferrite Nanoislands. NANO LETTERS 2016; 16:5228-5234. [PMID: 27454612 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We report deterministic selection of polarization variant in bismuth BiFeO3 nanoislands via a two-step scanning probe microscopy procedure. The polarization orientation in a nanoisland is toggled to the desired variant after a reset operation by scanning a conductive atomic force probe in contact over the surface while a bias is applied. The final polarization variant is determined by the direction of the inhomogeneous in-plane trailing field associated with the moving probe tip. This work provides the framework for better control of switching in rhombohedral ferroelectrics and for a deeper understanding of exchange coupling in multiferroic nanoscale heterostructures toward the realization of magnetoelectric devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Morelli
- Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast , University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Johann
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics , D-06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Stuart R Burns
- Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast , University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Douglas
- Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast , University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - J Marty Gregg
- Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast , University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
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10
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Damodaran AR, Agar JC, Pandya S, Chen Z, Dedon L, Xu R, Apgar B, Saremi S, Martin LW. New modalities of strain-control of ferroelectric thin films. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:263001. [PMID: 27187744 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/26/263001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ferroelectrics, with their spontaneous switchable electric polarization and strong coupling between their electrical, mechanical, thermal, and optical responses, provide functionalities crucial for a diverse range of applications. Over the past decade, there has been significant progress in epitaxial strain engineering of oxide ferroelectric thin films to control and enhance the nature of ferroelectric order, alter ferroelectric susceptibilities, and to create new modes of response which can be harnessed for various applications. This review aims to cover some of the most important discoveries in strain engineering over the past decade and highlight some of the new and emerging approaches for strain control of ferroelectrics. We discuss how these new approaches to strain engineering provide promising routes to control and decouple ferroelectric susceptibilities and create new modes of response not possible in the confines of conventional strain engineering. To conclude, we will provide an overview and prospectus of these new and interesting modalities of strain engineering helping to accelerate their widespread development and implementation in future functional devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoop R Damodaran
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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11
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Belianinov A, Vasudevan R, Strelcov E, Steed C, Yang SM, Tselev A, Jesse S, Biegalski M, Shipman G, Symons C, Borisevich A, Archibald R, Kalinin S. Big data and deep data in scanning and electron microscopies: deriving functionality from multidimensional data sets. ADVANCED STRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL IMAGING 2015; 1:6. [PMID: 27547705 PMCID: PMC4977326 DOI: 10.1186/s40679-015-0006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The development of electron and scanning probe microscopies in the second half of the twentieth century has produced spectacular images of the internal structure and composition of matter with nanometer, molecular, and atomic resolution. Largely, this progress was enabled by computer-assisted methods of microscope operation, data acquisition, and analysis. Advances in imaging technology in the beginning of the twenty-first century have opened the proverbial floodgates on the availability of high-veracity information on structure and functionality. From the hardware perspective, high-resolution imaging methods now routinely resolve atomic positions with approximately picometer precision, allowing for quantitative measurements of individual bond lengths and angles. Similarly, functional imaging often leads to multidimensional data sets containing partial or full information on properties of interest, acquired as a function of multiple parameters (time, temperature, or other external stimuli). Here, we review several recent applications of the big and deep data analysis methods to visualize, compress, and translate this multidimensional structural and functional data into physically and chemically relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Belianinov
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Rama Vasudevan
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Evgheni Strelcov
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Chad Steed
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Sang Mo Yang
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Center for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 151-747 South Korea
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747 South Korea
| | - Alexander Tselev
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Stephen Jesse
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Michael Biegalski
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Galen Shipman
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
| | - Christopher Symons
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Albina Borisevich
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Materials Sciences and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Rick Archibald
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Sergei Kalinin
- Institute for Functional Imaging of Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
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12
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Heo Y, Jang BK, Kim SJ, Yang CH, Seidel J. Nanoscale mechanical softening of morphotropic BiFeO3. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:7568-7572. [PMID: 25327302 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201401958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical switching can be used to form phase-transformed areas in mixed-phase bismuth ferrite thin films, which might be exploited to yield various soft elastic areas with greatly reduced Young's modulus on the nanoscale. Due to the mechanically susceptible nature of morphotropic phase boundaries in multiferroics, combined elastic control of electronic, magnetic, and ferroelectric properties becomes possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yooun Heo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW,, 2052, Australia
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13
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Sando D, Barthélémy A, Bibes M. BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films and devices: past, present and future. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2014; 26:473201. [PMID: 25352066 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/26/47/473201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The celebrated renaissance of the multiferroics family over the past ten years has also been that of its most paradigmatic member, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3). Known since the 1960s to be a high temperature antiferromagnet and since the 1970s to be ferroelectric, BiFeO3 only had its bulk ferroic properties clarified in the mid-2000s. It is however the fabrication of BiFeO3 thin films and their integration into epitaxial oxide heterostructures that have fully revealed its extraordinarily broad palette of functionalities. Here we review the first decade of research on BiFeO3 films, restricting ourselves to epitaxial structures. We discuss how thickness and epitaxial strain influence not only the unit cell parameters, but also the crystal structure, illustrated for instance by the discovery of the so-called T-like phase of BiFeO3. We then present its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties and their evolution near morphotropic phase boundaries. Magnetic properties and their modification by thickness and strain effects, as well as optical parameters, are covered. Finally, we highlight various types of devices based on BiFeO3 in electronics, spintronics, and optics, and provide perspectives for the development of further multifunctional devices for information technology and energy harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sando
- Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales, 1 Avenue Fresnel, Campus de l'Ecole Polytechnique, 91767 Palaiseau, France, and Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France. Center for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Republic of Korea
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Wang Y, Gao P, Bao D, Wang L, Chen Y, Zhou X, Yang P, Sun S, Zhang M. One Pot, Two Phases: Individual Orthorhombic and Face-Centered Cubic ZnSnO3 Obtained Synchronously in One Solution. Inorg Chem 2014; 53:12289-96. [DOI: 10.1021/ic5014126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Peng Gao
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Di Bao
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Longqiang Wang
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Yujin Chen
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoming Zhou
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Piaoping Yang
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Shuchao Sun
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
| | - Milin Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and ‡College of Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P. R. China
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Bhatnagar A, Kim YH, Hesse D, Alexe M. Persistent photoconductivity in strained epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films. NANO LETTERS 2014; 14:5224-8. [PMID: 25157996 DOI: 10.1021/nl502183j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A drastic change in the conductivity of strained BiFeO3 (BFO) films is observed after illuminating them with above-band gap light. This has been termed as persistent photoconductivity. The enhanced conductivity decays exponentially with time. A trapping character of the sub-band levels and their subsequent gradual emptying is proposed as a possible mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Bhatnagar
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics , Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle, Germany
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Jesse S, Vasudevan R, Collins L, Strelcov E, Okatan M, Belianinov A, Baddorf A, Proksch R, Kalinin S. Band Excitation in Scanning Probe Microscopy: Recognition and Functional Imaging. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2014; 65:519-36. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-040513-103609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Jesse
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - R.K. Vasudevan
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - L. Collins
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - E. Strelcov
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - M.B. Okatan
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - A. Belianinov
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - A.P. Baddorf
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
| | - R. Proksch
- Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company, Santa Barbara, California 93117
| | - S.V. Kalinin
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; ,
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Zhang J, Ke X, Gou G, Seidel J, Xiang B, Yu P, Liang WI, Minor AM, Chu YH, Van Tendeloo G, Ren X, Ramesh R. A nanoscale shape memory oxide. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2768. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Li L, Gao P, Nelson CT, Jokisaari JR, Zhang Y, Kim SJ, Melville A, Adamo C, Schlom DG, Pan X. Atomic scale structure changes induced by charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials. NANO LETTERS 2013; 13:5218-5223. [PMID: 24070735 DOI: 10.1021/nl402651r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Charged domain walls (CDWs) are of significant scientific and technological importance as they have been shown to play a critical role in controlling the switching mechanism and electric, photoelectric, and piezoelectric properties of ferroelectric materials. The atomic scale structure and properties of CDWs, which are critical for understanding the emergent properties, have, however, been rarely explored. In this work, using a spherical-aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope with subangstrom resolution, we have found that the polarization bound charge of the CDW in rhombohedral-like BiFeO3 thin films not only induces the formation of a tetragonal-like crystal structure at the CDW but also stabilizes unexpected nanosized domains with new polarization states and unconventional domain walls. These findings provide new insights on the effects of bound charge on ferroelectric domain structures and are critical for understanding the electrical switching in ferroelectric thin films as well as in memory devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linze Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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Jian SR, Chang HW, Tseng YC, Chen PH, Juang JY. Structural and nanomechanical properties of BiFeO3 thin films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2013; 8:297. [PMID: 23799923 PMCID: PMC3695780 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276x-8-297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The nanomechanical properties of BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films are subjected to nanoindentation evaluation. BFO thin films are grown on the Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering with various deposition temperatures. The structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and the results confirmed the presence of BFO phases. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the average film surface roughness increased with increasing of the deposition temperature. A Berkovich nanoindenter operated with the continuous contact stiffness measurement option indicated that the hardness decreases from 10.6 to 6.8 GPa for films deposited at 350°C and 450°C, respectively. In contrast, Young's modulus for the former is 170.8 GPa as compared to a value of 131.4 GPa for the latter. The relationship between the hardness and film grain size appears to follow closely with the Hall-Petch equation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Rui Jian
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
| | - Huang-Wei Chang
- Department of Applied Physics, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chin Tseng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Han Chen
- Department of Applied Physics, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan
| | - Jenh-Yih Juang
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
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Enriquez-Flores CI, Gervacio-Arciniega JJ, Cruz-Valeriano E, de Urquijo-Ventura P, Gutierrez-Salazar BJ, Espinoza-Beltran FJ. Fast frequency sweeping in resonance-tracking SPM for high-resolution AFAM and PFM imaging. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2012; 23:495705. [PMID: 23149480 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/49/495705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A new resonance-tracking (RT) method using fast frequency sweeping excitation was developed for quantitative scanning probe microscopy (SPM) imaging. This method allows quantitative imaging of elastic properties and ferroelectrical domains with nanoscale resolution at high data acquisition rates. It consists of a commercial AFM system combined with a high-frequency lock-in amplifier, a programmed function generator and a fast data acquisition card. The resonance-tracking method was applied to the atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) and to the piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) modes. Plots of amplitude versus time and phase versus time for resonant spectra working with different sweeping frequencies were obtained to evaluate the response speed of the lock-in amplifier. It was proved that this resonance-tracking method allows suitable spectral acquisition at a rate of about 5 ms/pixel, which is useful for SPM imaging in a practical scanning time. In order to demonstrate the system performance, images of RT-AFAM for TiN films and RT-PFM for GeTe are shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- C I Enriquez-Flores
- CINVESTAV Unidad Querétaro, Lib. Norponiente 2000, Real de Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Qro., Mexico.
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Zhang JX, Zeches RJ, He Q, Chu YH, Ramesh R. Nanoscale phase boundaries: a new twist to novel functionalities. NANOSCALE 2012; 4:6196-6204. [PMID: 22948414 DOI: 10.1039/c2nr31174g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In functional materials, nanoscale phase boundaries exhibit exotic phenomena that are notably absent in their parent phases. Over the past two decades, much of the research into complex oxides (such as cuprate superconductors, CMR manganites and relaxor ferroelectrics) has demonstrated the key role that nanoscale inhomogeneities play in controlling the electronic and/or ionic structure of these materials. One of the key characteristics in such systems is the strong susceptibility to external perturbations, such as magnetic, electric and mechanical fields. A direct consequence of the accommodation of a large number of cationic substitutions in complex oxides is the emergence of a number of physical phenomena from essentially the same crystal framework. Recently, multiferroic behavior, which is characterized by the co-existence and potential coupling of multiple ferroic order parameters, has captured considerable worldwide research interest. The perovskite, BiFeO(3), exhibits robust ferroelectricity coupled with antiferromagnetism at room temperature. A rather unique feature of this material system is its ability to "morph" its ground state when an external mechanical constraint is imposed on it. A particularly striking example is observed when a large (~4 to 5%) compressive strain is imposed on a thin film through the epitaxial constraint from the underlying substrate. Under these conditions, the ground state rhombohedral phase transforms into a tetragonal-like (or a derivative thereof) phase with a rather large unit cell (c/a ratio of ~1.26). When the epitaxial constraint is partially relaxed by increasing the film thickness, this tetragonal-like phase evolves into a "mixed-phase" state, consisting of a nanoscale admixture of the rhombohedral-like phase embedded in the tetragonal-like phase. Such a system gives us a new pathway to explore a variety of mechanical, magnetic and transport phenomena in constrained dimensions. This article reviews our progress to date in this direction and also captures some possible areas of future research. We use the electromechanical response and the magnetic properties as examples to illustrate that its novel functionalities are intrinsically due to the phase boundaries and not the constituent phases. The possible origin of the giant piezoelectric response and enhanced magnetic moment across the boundaries is proposed based on the flexoelectric and flexomagnetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- J X Zhang
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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You L, Chen Z, Zou X, Ding H, Chen W, Chen L, Yuan G, Wang J. Characterization and manipulation of mixed phase nanodomains in highly strained BiFeO3 thin films. ACS NANO 2012; 6:5388-5394. [PMID: 22591450 DOI: 10.1021/nn3012459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The novel strain-driven morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in highly strained BiFeO(3) thin films is characterized by well-ordered mixed phase nanodomains (MPNs). Through scanning probe microscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, eight structural variants of the MPNs are identified. Detailed polarization configurations within the MPNs are resolved using angular-dependent piezoelectric force microscopy. Guided by the obtained results, deterministic manipulation of the MPNs has been demonstrated by controlling the motion of the local probe. These findings are important for an in-depth understanding of the ultrahigh electromechanical response arising from phase transformation between competing phases, enabling future explorations on the electronic structure, magnetoelectricity, and other functionalities in this new MPB system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu You
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798
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Chen YC, He Q, Chu FN, Huang YC, Chen JW, Liang WI, Vasudevan RK, Nagarajan V, Arenholz E, Kalinin SV, Chu YH. Electrical control of multiferroic orderings in mixed-phase BiFeO₃ films. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2012; 24:3070-3075. [PMID: 22570278 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Revised: 03/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chun Chen
- Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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Liu YY, Vasudevan RK, Pan K, Xie SH, Liang WI, Kumar A, Jesse S, Chen YC, Chu YH, Nagarajan V, Kalinin SV, Li JY. Controlling magnetoelectric coupling by nanoscale phase transformation in strain engineered bismuth ferrite. NANOSCALE 2012; 4:3175-3183. [PMID: 22517294 DOI: 10.1039/c2nr00039c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic materials is promising for a wide range of applications, yet manipulating magnetic ordering by electric field proves elusive to obtain and difficult to control. In this paper, we explore the prospect of controlling magnetic ordering in misfit strained bismuth ferrite (BiFeO(3), BFO) films, combining theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and experimental characterizations. Electric field induced transformation from a tetragonal phase to a distorted rhombohedral one in strain engineered BFO films has been identified by thermodynamic analysis, and realized by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) experiment. By breaking the rotational symmetry of a tip-induced electric field as suggested by phase field simulation, the morphology of distorted rhombohedral variants has been delicately controlled and regulated. Such capabilities enable nanoscale control of magnetoelectric coupling in strain engineered BFO films that is difficult to achieve otherwise, as demonstrated by phase field simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Y Liu
- Faculty of Materials, Optoelectronics and Physics, and Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials & Application Technology of Ministry of Education, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105, China
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