TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct observation of nanoscale dynamics of ferroelectric degradation
AU - Huang, Qianwei
AU - Chen, Zibin
AU - Cabral, Matthew J.
AU - Wang, Feifei
AU - Zhang, Shujun
AU - Li, Fei
AU - Li, Yulan
AU - Ringer, Simon P.
AU - Luo, Haosu
AU - Mai, Yiu Wing
AU - Liao, Xiaozhou
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge the facilities and the scientific and technical assistance of the Microscopy Australia node at the University of Sydney (Sydney Microscopy & Microanalysis). The authors also acknowledge the financial support from the Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP190101155.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Failure of polarization reversal, i.e., ferroelectric degradation, induced by cyclic electric loadings in ferroelectric materials, has been a long-standing challenge that negatively impacts the application of ferroelectrics in devices where reliability is critical. It is generally believed that space charges or injected charges dominate the ferroelectric degradation. However, the physics behind the phenomenon remains unclear. Here, using in-situ biasing transmission electron microscopy, we discover change of charge distribution in thin ferroelectrics during cyclic electric loadings. Charge accumulation at domain walls is the main reason of the formation of c domains, which are less responsive to the applied electric field. The rapid growth of the frozen c domains leads to the ferroelectric degradation. This finding gives insights into the nature of ferroelectric degradation in nanodevices, and reveals the role of the injected charges in polarization reversal.
AB - Failure of polarization reversal, i.e., ferroelectric degradation, induced by cyclic electric loadings in ferroelectric materials, has been a long-standing challenge that negatively impacts the application of ferroelectrics in devices where reliability is critical. It is generally believed that space charges or injected charges dominate the ferroelectric degradation. However, the physics behind the phenomenon remains unclear. Here, using in-situ biasing transmission electron microscopy, we discover change of charge distribution in thin ferroelectrics during cyclic electric loadings. Charge accumulation at domain walls is the main reason of the formation of c domains, which are less responsive to the applied electric field. The rapid growth of the frozen c domains leads to the ferroelectric degradation. This finding gives insights into the nature of ferroelectric degradation in nanodevices, and reveals the role of the injected charges in polarization reversal.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103995062
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-22355-1
DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-22355-1
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33828086
AN - SCOPUS:85103995062
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 12
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 2095
ER -