Characterization of Nanomechanical, Ferroelectric, and Piezoelectric Properties by Nanoindentation and Piezoresponse Force Microscopy of PbTiO sub(3) Thin Films

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 52; no. 40; pp. 14328 - 14334-14328-14334
• Main Authors: Ramos-Cano, Juan, Miki-Yoshida, Mario, Goncalves, Andre Marino, Eiras, Jose Antonio, Gonzalez-Hernandez, Jesus, Rodriguez-Lopez, Jose Antonio, Amezaga-Madrid, Patricia, Hurtado-Macias, Abel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 09.10.2013
• Subjects: Annealing; Chemical vapor deposition; Elastic modulus; Electric fields; Grains; Lamellar structure; Nanoindentation; Nanostructure; Thin films
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie401134m

Lead titanate PbTiO sub(3) films were deposited onto Pt(111)/Ti/SiO sub(2)/Si(100) substrates by the aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AA-CVD) process followed by thermal annealing at 550 degree C for 12 h. Piezoresponse force microscopic observations revealed a nano laminar domain structure in the PbTiO sub(3) grains, and we attribute the lamellar domains to 180 and 90 degree ferroelectric domains. The polarization-switching mechanism of the domains in the representative PbTiO sub(3) film under an external electric fields has also been studied, and it was revealed that a large-area polarization switching is usually accompanied by the appearance of a new direction of 90 degree domains in order to reduce the stress in the grains. Finally, nanomechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and hardness were evaluated by nanoindentation using the continuous stiffness measurement technique.