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Direct Imaging of Nanoscale Ferroelectric Domains and Polarization Reversal in Ferroelectric Capacitors

Landberg, Megan LU ; Yan, Bixin ; Chen, Huaiyu LU ; Efe, Ipek ; Trassin, Morgan and Wallentin, Jesper LU (2025) In Nano Letters 25(45). p.16304-16310
Abstract

Ferroelectric thin films present a powerful platform for next-generation computing and memory applications. However, domain morphology and dynamics in buried ferroelectric stacks have remained underexplored, despite their importance for real device performance. Here, nanoprobe X-ray diffraction (nano-XRD) is used to image ferroelectric domains inside BiFeO3-based capacitors, revealing local disorder in domain architecture and partial polarization reorientation caused by the capacitor electrostatic boundary conditions and internal stress. We demonstrate sensitivity to ferroelectric reversal in poled capacitors, highlighting expansive/compressive (001) strain for up-/down-polarization using nano-XRD. We observe significant... (More)

Ferroelectric thin films present a powerful platform for next-generation computing and memory applications. However, domain morphology and dynamics in buried ferroelectric stacks have remained underexplored, despite their importance for real device performance. Here, nanoprobe X-ray diffraction (nano-XRD) is used to image ferroelectric domains inside BiFeO3-based capacitors, revealing local disorder in domain architecture and partial polarization reorientation caused by the capacitor electrostatic boundary conditions and internal stress. We demonstrate sensitivity to ferroelectric reversal in poled capacitors, highlighting expansive/compressive (001) strain for up-/down-polarization using nano-XRD. We observe significant quantitative and qualitative differences between poling by piezoresponse force microscopy and in devices. Further, electrical poling induces lattice tilt at electrode edges, which may modify performance in downscaled devices. Our results establish nano-XRD as a noninvasive probe of buried ferroelectric domain morphologies and dynamics, opening avenues for operando characterization of energy-efficient nanoscale devices.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ferroelectric devices, ferroelectric domains, multiferroics, nanodiffraction, piezo-response force microscopy, X-ray microscopy
in
Nano Letters
volume
25
issue
45
pages
7 pages
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:41183558
  • scopus:105021402211
ISSN
1530-6984
DOI
10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c05032
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society
id
853e132b-36ce-4417-ae84-ff7c5ad28eaa
date added to LUP
2025-11-24 20:22:01
date last changed
2025-12-08 21:43:26
@article{853e132b-36ce-4417-ae84-ff7c5ad28eaa,
  abstract     = {{<p>Ferroelectric thin films present a powerful platform for next-generation computing and memory applications. However, domain morphology and dynamics in buried ferroelectric stacks have remained underexplored, despite their importance for real device performance. Here, nanoprobe X-ray diffraction (nano-XRD) is used to image ferroelectric domains inside BiFeO<sub>3</sub>-based capacitors, revealing local disorder in domain architecture and partial polarization reorientation caused by the capacitor electrostatic boundary conditions and internal stress. We demonstrate sensitivity to ferroelectric reversal in poled capacitors, highlighting expansive/compressive (001) strain for up-/down-polarization using nano-XRD. We observe significant quantitative and qualitative differences between poling by piezoresponse force microscopy and in devices. Further, electrical poling induces lattice tilt at electrode edges, which may modify performance in downscaled devices. Our results establish nano-XRD as a noninvasive probe of buried ferroelectric domain morphologies and dynamics, opening avenues for operando characterization of energy-efficient nanoscale devices.</p>}},
  author       = {{Landberg, Megan and Yan, Bixin and Chen, Huaiyu and Efe, Ipek and Trassin, Morgan and Wallentin, Jesper}},
  issn         = {{1530-6984}},
  keywords     = {{ferroelectric devices; ferroelectric domains; multiferroics; nanodiffraction; piezo-response force microscopy; X-ray microscopy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{45}},
  pages        = {{16304--16310}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Nano Letters}},
  title        = {{Direct Imaging of Nanoscale Ferroelectric Domains and Polarization Reversal in Ferroelectric Capacitors}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c05032}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c05032}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}