Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
Published on: April 8, 2018
Polarization-control of the potential barrier at the electrode interfaces in epitaxial ferroelectric thin films
Ioana Pintilie1, Cristian Mihail Teodorescu, Corneliu Ghica
1National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomistilor 105 bis, Magurele 077125, Romania.
Abstract:
Electrode interface is a key element in controlling the macroscopic electrical properties of the ferroelectric capacitors based on thin films. In the case of epitaxial ferroelectrics, the electrode interface is essential in controlling the leakage current and the polarization switching, two important elements in the read/write processes of nonvolatile memories. However, the relation between the polarization bound charges and the electronic properties of the electrode interfaces is not yet well understood. Here we show that polarization charges are controlling the height of the potential barriers at the electrode interfaces in the case of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and BaTiO3 epitaxial films. The results suggest that the height is set to a value allowing rapid compensation of the depolarization field during the polarization switching, being almost independent of the metals used for electrodes. This general behavior open a new perspective in engineering interface properties and designing new devices based on epitaxial ferroelectrics.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Potential Due to a Polarized Object
The Electrical Double Layer
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
Controlled-Potential Coulometry: Electrolytic Methods
The chosen potential...
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The...
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...

