Velocity Control of 180° Domain Walls in Ferroelectric Thin Films by Electrode Modification

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Ferroelectric domain walls are key to advanced electronic devices.
• Controlling domain wall motion is essential for device performance.
• Electron-beam induced deposition (EBID) offers precise electrode fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of top electrode thickness on 180° domain wall velocity.
• To understand the relationship between electrode resistivity and domain wall dynamics.
• To explore the potential for dynamic control of domain wall motion.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of thin ferroelectric films (PbZr0.1Ti0.9O3) with varying top platinum electrode thicknesses using EBID.
• Measurement of domain wall velocity as a function of electrode thickness.
• Extrapolation of electrode resistivity using four-point probe measurements.
• Modeling domain wall motion using a modified Stefan Problem.

Main Results:

• Domain wall velocity changes by seven orders of magnitude with electrode thickness (<100 nm).
• High domain wall velocities correlate with low electrode resistivities.
• The modified Stefan Problem accurately describes the observed domain wall motion.
• Localized changes in electrode geometry allow for dynamic control of domain wall velocity.

Conclusions:

• Electrode thickness and resistivity are critical factors governing ferroelectric domain wall velocity.
• This finding has significant implications for the speed and feasibility of ferroelectric domain wall nanoelectronics.
• Tunable electrode geometry presents opportunities for creating novel dynamic electronic regimes.