Patterning of ferroelectric nanodot arrays using a silicon nitride shadow mask

Abstract

We grew well-ordered arrays of ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT) nanodots on a SrRuO3∕SrTiO3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition. A silicon nitride shadow mask with ordered holes was used for patterning of the PZT arrays. Each dot has a height of ∼15nm and a diameter of ∼120nm with a similar dome shape over a large area. The ferroelectric properties of individual PZT dots were investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy. A single dot could be polarized individually and the polarized state remained unrelaxed to ∼20min.