Fabrication of high-density BiFeO₃nanodot and anti-nanodot arrays by anodic alumina template-assisted ion beam etching

� 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Efficient and cost-competitive fabrication of high-quality ferroelectric and multiferroic nanostructures is of general interest. In this work, a top-down nano-patterning technique is developed by the Ar+ion beam etching in combination with the sacrificed ultrathin anodic alumina (AAO) mask. This technique is demonstrated by preparation of the epitaxial BiFeO3(BFO) nanostructures of various geometries, including nanodot and anti-nanodot arrays. The lateral dot size is as small as ∼60 nm and an ultrahigh dot density of ∼60 Gbit/inch2is achieved. It is revealed that the etching process involves sequential shape evolution of both the AAO mask and the underlying BFO film, resulting in the nanodots and anti-nanodots arrays of various geometries. The as-etched BFO nanodots array exhibits well-established ferroelectric domain structures and reversible polarization switching, as examined by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). It is suggested that this technique is extendable to fabrication of a wide range of functional oxide nanostructures for potential nanoelectronic applications.