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Nanoscale investigation of fatigue effects in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films
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1996
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EngineeringForce MicroscopyFerroelectric ApplicationNanoelectronicsPiezoelectric MaterialDomain StructuresPt ElectrodesMaterials ScienceMaterials EngineeringElectrical EngineeringNanotechnologyPiezoelectricityPyroelectricityFatigue EffectsLow-cycle FatigueFerroelasticsMaterial AnalysisApplied PhysicsThin Films
Scanning force microscopy has been used to perform a comparative nanoscale study of domain structures and switching behavior of Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 (PZT) thin films integrated into heterostructures with different electrodes. The study revealed a significant difference between polarization state of as-deposited PZT films on RuO2 and Pt electrodes. The PZT/RuO2 films exhibit polydomain crystallites and show almost symmetric switching behavior, while the PZT/Pt films are mainly in a single polarity state and exhibit highly asymmetric piezoelectric hysteresis loops. Formation of unswitchable polarization within the grains of submicron size as a result of fatigue process was directly observed.