Degradation of ferroelectric and weak ferromagnetic properties of BiFeO_3 films due to the diffusion of silicon atoms

Crystalline BiFeO3 （BFO） films each with a crystal structure of a distorted rhombohedral perovskite are characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and high-resolution electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The diffusion of silicon atoms from the substrate into the BiFeO3 film is detected by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry （RBS）. The element analysis is per- formed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）. Simulation results of RBS spectrum show a visualized distribution of silicon. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） indicates that a portion of silica is formed in the diffusion process of silicon atoms. Ferroelectric and weak ferromagnetic properties of the BFO films are degraded due to the diffusion of silicon atoms. The saturation magnetization decreases from 6.11 down to 0.75 emu/g, and the leakage current density increases from 3.8 × 10^-4 upto7.1 × 10^-4 A/cm-2.     

Improved photovoltaic effects in Mn-doped BiFeO_3 ferroelectric thin films through band gap engineering

As a low-bandgap ferroelectric material, BiFeO_3 has gained wide attention for the potential photovoltaic applications,since its photovoltaic effect in visible light range was reported in 2009. In the present work, Bi(Fe, Mn)O_3thin films are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition method, and the effects of Mn doping on the microstructure, optical, leakage,ferroelectric and photovoltaic characteristics of Bi(Fe, Mn)O_3 thin films are systematically investigated. The x-ray diffraction data indicate that Bi(Fe, Mn)O_3 thin films each have a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure. From the light absorption results, it follows that the band gap of Bi(Fe, Mn)O_3 thin films can be tuned by doping different amounts of Mn content. More importantly, photovoltaic measurement demonstrates that the short-circuit photocurrent density and the open-circuit voltage can both be remarkably improved through doping an appropriate amount of Mn content, leading to the fascinating fact that the maximum power output of ITO/BiFe_(0.7)Mn_(0.3)O_3/Nb-STO capacitor is about 175 times higher than that of ITO/BiFeO_3/Nb-STO capacitor. The improvement of photovoltaic response in Bi(Fe, Mn)O_3 thin film can be reasonably explained as being due to absorbing more visible light through bandgap engineering and maintaining the ferroelectric property at the same time.     

Ferroelectric domain structures and polarization switching characteristics of polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films on glass substrates

We investigated ferroelectric characteristics of BiFeO₃ (BFO) thin films on SrRuO₃ (SRO)/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/glass substrates grown by pulsed laser deposition. YSZ buffer layers were employed to grow highly crystallized BFO thin films as well as SRO bottom electrodes on glass substrates. The BFO thin films exhibited good ferroelectric properties with a remanent polarization of 2P_r = 59.6 μC/cm² and fast switching behavior within about 125 ns. Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) study revealed that the BFO thin films have much smaller mosaic ferroelectric domain patterns than epitaxial BFO thin films on Nb:SrTiO₃ substrates. Presumably these small domain widths which originated from smaller domain energy give rise to the faster electrical switching behavior in comparison with the epitaxial BFO thin films on Nb:SrTiO₃ substrates.     

有机功能超薄膜铁电性研究进展

扼要叙述了有机铁电LB膜的制备方法，着重介绍了近几年来有机LB膜的铁电性应用与研究的进展．     

(111)取向(Pb,La)TiO3铁电薄膜中90°纳米带状畴与热释电性能的研究

采用射频磁控溅射技术在Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si(100)衬底上生长了掺镧钛酸铅(PLT)铁电薄膜.用X射线衍射技术(XRD)研究了PLT薄膜结晶性能，结果表明PLT薄膜为 (111)择优取向钙钛矿相织构.使用原子力显微镜(AFM)和压电响应力显微镜(PFM) 分别观察了PLT薄膜的表面形貌和对应区域的电畴结构.PFM观察显示PLT薄膜中存在90°纳米带状畴，电畴的极化为首尾相接的低能量的排列方式，带状畴的宽度为20—60nm.研究了PLT10铁电薄膜的制备条件与性能之间的关系.发现在优化条件下制备的PLT10铁电薄膜的介电常数ε_r为365、介电损耗tgδ为0.02，热释电系数γ为2.18×10^-8C·(cm²·K)^-1，可以满足制备非制冷红外探测器的需要. 关键词： PLT薄膜 电畴 PFM 极化     

近化学计量比铌酸锂晶体周期极化畴反转特性研究

采用K2O作助熔剂直接拉晶法和气相输运平衡技术制备出了高质量近化学计量比铌酸锂晶体,研究了铌酸锂晶体中的[Li][Nb]比含量对其畴反转结构和极化电场的影响.实验结果表明:随着晶体中[Li][Nb]比的提高,畴极化反转电场呈明显下降趋势,使用近化学计量比铌酸锂晶体,在4.0±0.5kVmm大小极化电场条件下,成功地实现了1.0mm厚度的周期极化畴反转.并用铌酸锂晶体的Li空位缺陷模型对上述实验结果给出了合理的解释. 关键词： 近化学计量比铌酸锂晶体 周期极化 畴反转     

Electromechanical cracking in ferroelectrics driven by large scale domain switching

Experimental results indicate three regimes for cracking in a ferroelectric double cantilever beam (DCB) under combined electromechanical loading. In the loading, the maximum amplitude of the applied electric field reaches almost twice the coercive field of ferroelectrics. Thus, the model of small scale domain switching is not applicable any more, which is dictated only by the singular term of the crack tip field. In the DCB test, a large or global scale domain switching takes place instead, which is driven...     

Substrate effect on mechanical relaxation of polystyrene in ultrathin films

Mechanical relaxation behavior in ultrathin polystyrene (PS) films supported on silicon oxide (SiO_x) and gold (Au) substrates has been studied by dynamic viscoelastic measurement. Based on the method, effects of free surface and substrate interface on the segmental dynamics were discussed. In the case of thin PS films with a thickness of approximately 200 nm, α_a-relaxation process corresponding to the segmental motion did not show any deviation from the bulk behavior. In contrast, for the films thinner than about 50 nm, the relaxation time distribution for the α_a-process became broader, probably due to a mobility gradient in the surface and interfacial regions. When we sandwiched an ultrathin PS film between SiO_x layers, another relaxation process, in addition to the original α_a-process, appeared at a higher temperature side that we assigned to the interfacial α_a-relaxation process. However, this was never seen for an ultrathin PS film between Au layers, implying that restriction from the substrate interface might be weak in this case.     

铁电体中新畴成核经典模型的改进

新畴成核是外加低场下铁电体中铁电畴反转的一个重要的过程.首先介绍了新畴成核的经典模型,采用该模型研究了铁电畴反转的新畴成核过程,发现理论计算的成核速率与外场关系和实验观测结果不一致.在Tagantsev模型的基础上,选取不同的成核形状对新畴成核的经典模型进行了改进,并获得了和实验观测相符的理论计算结果. 关键词： 铁电体 铁电畴 成核速率     

Large scale domain switching around the tip of an impermeable stationary crack in ferroelectric ceramics driven by near-coercive electric field

It is widely accepted that the singular term plays a leading role in driving domain switching around the crack tip of ferroelectric ceramics.When an applied electric field approaches or even exceeds the coercive one,however,non-singular terms are no longer negligible and the switching of a large or global scale takes place.To analyze the large scale switching,one has to get a full asymptotic solution to the electric field in the vicinity of the crack tip.Take a double cantilever beam specimen as an example....     

Temperature dependence of magnetic stripe domain period in ultrathin films

In ultrathin films, due to the thermal activation and temperature dependencies of the magnetic parameters, magnetization reversal processes are strongly affected by thermal effects. We analyze changes of domain periods of ultrathin cobalt and L₁₀$\mathrm{L}{1}_0$ films in a wide temperature range. With regard to the temperature dependencies of the film magnetic parameters we calculate the equilibrium stripe period as a function of temperature. It is shown that on film heating the equilibrium domain structure (DS) period decreases and at the reorientation phase transition (RPT) approaches its minimal value corresponding to the temperature independent period of the sinusoidal domain structure. Just below the RPT temperature (or thickness) the stripe domain period was found to exponentially decrease with temperature. Irreversible temperature changes of the domain period affected by coercivity are also discussed.     

Compressed exponential form for disordered domain wall motion in ultra-thin Au/Co/Au ferromagnetic films

Magnetization reversal in ultra-thin Au/Co/Au films deposited on single crystal silicon (1 0 0) was investigated using Kerr microscopy. In the considered ultra-thin Co films, with a thickness between 0.7 and 1 nm, the coercivity and magnetic anisotropy decrease with decrease in cobalt layer thickness and the magnetization reversal dynamics is dominated by disordered domain wall motion. An analysis of the observed magnetization reversal dynamics is proposed, starting from the Fatuzzo-Labrune model. We show that the relaxation curves of these samples are well described by a function obtained by a technical transformation of Fatuzzo-Labrune model in the regime dominated by domain wall motion.     

Nonvolatile unipolar resistive switching in ultrathin films of graphene and carbon nanotubes

We report unipolar resistive switching in ultrathin films of chemically produced graphene (reduced graphene oxide) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The two-terminal devices with yield >99% are made at room temperature by forming continuous films of graphene of thickness ∼20 nm on indium tin oxide coated glass electrode, followed by metal (Au or Al) deposition on the film. These memory devices are nonvolatile, rewritable with ON/OFF ratios up to ∼ 10⁵ and switching times up to 10 μs. The devices made of MWNT films are rewritable with ON/OFF ratios up to ∼400. The resistive switching mechanism is proposed to be nanogap formation and filamentary conduction paths.     

微结构对Eu掺杂Bi4Ti3O12铁电薄膜铁电性能的影响

采用金属有机物分解法在Pt/Ti/Si(111)基底上制备了退火温度分别为600℃,650℃,700℃的Bi_3.15Eu_0.85Ti₃O₁₂(BET)铁电薄膜,并对其结构及铁电性能进行了测试,再使用扫描探针显微镜对BET薄膜的电畴翻转进行了实时观测.BET薄膜c畴发生180°畴变的最小电压为+6V,而r畴由于其高四方性,即使极化电压增至+12V也不会发生翻转.薄膜的铁电性主要源于c畴的极化,随着退火温度的升高,c畴的区域面积增加,BET薄膜的剩余极化强度随之增大.退火温度为700℃的BET薄膜剩余极化强度达到84μC/cm². 关键词： 铁电薄膜 电畴翻转 扫描探针显微镜     

Simultaneous observation of atomic step and domain wall structure of ultrathin Co films by magnetic force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum

We have applied magnetic force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum to study the correlation between the atomic step and magnetic domain wall structure of ultrathin Co films prepared in situ on Au(111) substrates. For the first time we were able to achieve high-resolution images showing simultaneously a clear domain wall contrast and the underlying atomic step structure. Although for in-plane magnetized Co films the domain walls were found to run preferentially in a direction perpendicular to the steps, no such correlation could be observed for out-of-plane magnetized Co films. Received: 3 June 1999 / Accepted: 4 June 1999 / Published online: 29 July 1999     

条状永磁体的组合形式及间距对单畴GdBCO超导体磁悬浮力的影响

通过对由条状永磁体组成的组合磁体与单畴GdBCO超导体在零场冷情况下磁悬浮力的测量,研究了5种不同组态下组合磁体之间距离的变化对超导体磁悬浮力的影响.结果发现,当条状永磁体之间的距离D从0 mm增加到30 mm时,超导体的磁悬浮力大小与组合磁体排列形式有着密切关系(以Z=5 mm为例):1)对由3个条状永磁体组成的组合磁体,当中间磁体的磁极N向上、两侧磁体的磁极N均水平指向中间磁体时,超导体的磁悬浮力从22.8N减小到9.7N;当中间磁体的磁极N向上、两侧磁体的磁极N均向下时, 关键词： 单畴GdBCO块材 磁体组合形式 磁悬浮力     

Effects of switching pulse width and stress on properties of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films

Polycrystalline ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films are prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by the conventional metalorganic decomposition method.It is observed that with the increase of switching pulse width,the remnant polarisation and the coercive field increase.A wider switching pulse can result in poorer fatigue properties,which comes from more charged defects diffusing to and being trapped on domain walls.On the other hand,when the compressive stress is applied to films,the fatigue properties can be improved.This phenomenon is due to the reorientation of domains under stress.     

Effect of size quantization on the effective mass in ultrathin films ofn-Cd3As2

An attempt is made to investigate the effects of size quantization on the effective mass in ultrathin films ofn-Cd₃As₂. It is found that the effective mass at the Fermi level depends on the size quantum number due to the effect of crystal-field splitting, resulting in different effective masses at the Fermi level corresponding to different electric subbands. It is also observed that the different effective masses closely approach each other, for a given film thickness, with increasing electron concentration and, for a given electron concentration, with increasing film thickness.     

热处理对CH薄膜表面粗糙度及力学性能的影响

利用低压等离子体化学气相沉积法制备厚度约为7 m的辉光放电聚合物薄膜,将制备的薄膜样品放入通有氩气保护的热处理炉中加热至300 ℃,分别进行6,10,24 h的保温热处理。通过白光干涉仪观察分析了不同保温时间下辉光放电聚合物薄膜的表面粗糙度; 利用傅里叶变换红外吸收光谱分析了300 ℃条件下不同保温时间对薄膜结构的影响; 采用纳米压痕仪表征了不同保温时间热处理后,薄膜硬度及模量的变化。结果表明:随着保温时间的增加,薄膜的表面均方根粗糙度由12 nm降至4.43 nm。薄膜结构中甲基的相对含量减少,双键的相对含量增加,碳链变长,同时薄膜网络结构的交联化程度增强。硬度和模量随着保温时间的增加先减小后增大。     

Direct characterization of nanoscale domain switching and local piezoelectric loops of (Pb,La)TiO3 thin films by piezoresponse force microscopy

〈111〉 and 〈001〉, 〈100〉 preferentially oriented lanthanum-modified lead titanate thin films have been studied at the nanometre scale by means of piezoresponse force microscopy. The nanoscale domain structures, domain switching, and local piezoelectric loops of the films have been analysed. The imaging of the domain structures after the application of a dc field suggests the existence of 90° and 180° domains within the regions with intermediate contrast. The variation of piezoresponse under an electric field in domains of two types has been discussed. Significant differences have been found between the local piezoelectric loops measured in the films deposited on different substrates. These differences are related to the different textures present in the films. PACS 61.16.Ch; 77.84.Dy; 77.80.Dj