Domain Nucleation and Growth in an Epitaxially Grown Wurtzite Ferroelectric
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)
Ferroelectric domain nucleation and growth in epitaxial (Al, B, Sc)N films grown on n-GaN substrates are explored using a combination of ferroelectric property measurements and scanning transmission electron microscopy, including novel in situ switching studies. The films are electrically switched to nitrogen-polar (N-polar) and metal-polar (M-polar) configurations, attaining a remanent polarization of 120 µC cm−2 with coercive fields of ≈6 MV cm−1. In the initial switching cycle, the ferroelectric domains nucleate near the bottom n-GaN electrode and develop domain walls with zigzag morphologies, while residual “dead layers” that do not switch from the as-deposited orientation persist at the top and bottom electrodes. The in situ microscopy experiments reveal that domain walls propagate fastest in the lateral direction, parallel to the electrode/film interface. These findings provide insights into the domain dynamics and structural evolution of wurtzite ferroelectrics, offering implications for next-generation electronic devices.
- Research Organization:
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0021118
- OSTI ID:
- 2997028
- Journal Information:
- Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Functional Materials; ISSN 1616-3028; ISSN 1616-301X
- Publisher:
- WileyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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