Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026

A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
Published on: April 8, 2018
The Coupling of Ferroelectric Polarization and Oxygen Vacancy Migration Enables Electrically Controlled Thermal
Dídac Barneo1,2, Miquel Royo3, Rafael Ramos4,5
1Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Here we investigate epitaxial Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric thin films as potential candidates to be used as non-volatile electric-field-modulated thermal memories. The electric-field dependence of the thermal conductivity of metal/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/Y2O3:ZrO2 devices is found to be hysteretic-resembling a polarization vs. electric field hysteresis loop-, reaching a maximum (minimum) at large applied positive (negative) electric fields from the top metallic electrode. This dynamic thermal response is compatible with the effects of the coupling between the ferroelectric polarization and oxygen ion migration in the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 layer, in which the oxygen vacancies are the main phonon scattering centers and the polarization acts as an electrically active ion migration barrier that creates the hysteresis. This new mechanism enables two non-volatile states: high (ON) and low (OFF) thermal conductivity states when the electric field is removed, with an ON/OFF ratio of 1.6, which can be switched with applied voltages lower than -5 and +5 V, respectively. Both the ON and OFF states exhibit high stability over time, though the switching speed is limited by ion mobility in the Y2O3:ZrO2 electrode.
More Related Videos
09:49In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy with Biasing and Fabrication of Asymmetric Crossbars Based on Mixed-Phased a-VOx
Published on: May 13, 2020
08:00Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain
Published on: March 27, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
MOS Capacitor
The metal gate is typically made from highly conductive materials such as aluminum or polysilicon. Beneath the metal gate lies a thin layer of...
Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity....
Ferromagnetism
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...
Non-ohmic Devices
Consider a simple circuit consisting of a battery, a diode, and a resistor. A...