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Updated: May 25, 2026
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A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
Published on: April 8, 2018
Cold-field switching in PVDF-TrFE ferroelectric polymer nanomesas
Igor Stolichnov1, Peter Maksymovych, Evgeny Mikheev
1Ceramics Laboratory, EPFL-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland. igor.stolitchnov@epfl.ch
Physical Review Letters
|February 14, 2012
Summary
Polarization reversal in polyvinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene nanostructures occurs via a non-thermally activated, defect-mediated process at lower electric fields than expected. This finding is crucial for developing advanced ferroelectric polymer electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Ferroelectric polymers like polyvinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) are vital for flexible electronics.
- Understanding polarization reversal mechanisms at the nanoscale is critical for device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the polarization reversal dynamics in ferroelectric PVDF-TrFE nanomesas.
- To compare nanoscale switching behavior with macroscopic observations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ultrahigh vacuum piezoresponse force microscopy (UHV-PFM) to probe local ferroelectric switching.
- Conducted experiments across a wide temperature range (89 K to 326 K).
Main Results:
- Observed non-thermally activated polarization reversal at the nanoscale.
- Switching occurred at electric fields significantly lower than the intrinsic threshold.
- A
- cold-field
- defect-mediated extrinsic switching model adequately describes the behavior.
Conclusions:
- The nanoscale polarization reversal in PVDF-TrFE is primarily governed by extrinsic, defect-mediated processes.
- There is significant potential for lowering the coercive field in ferroelectric polymer nanostructures.
- This research has important implications for the design of next-generation functional electronic devices.
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