Chemical solution deposition (CSD) provides a low-cost, versatile approach for processing of thin and ultrathin ferroelectric films, as well as short and high aspect ratio ferroelectric nanostructures. This review discusses the state of the art in the processing of ferroelectric oxide thin films and nanostructures by CSD, with special emphasis on nucleation and growth phenomena. The effects of choice of precursor solution, substrate and bottom electrode stack, and thermal treatment conditions on the nucleation and growth are examined. Furthermore, methods to control ferroelectric thin film's microstructure, including phase content, texture, grain size and chemical homogeneity, are reviewed. Lastly, current CSD-based methods for processing of ferroelectric oxide nanostructures are presented with special consideration of the structural development, as well as advantages and shortcomings associated with each method. Lead zirconate-titanate, Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (PZT), and barium titanate, BaTiO3 (BT), are used throughout the discussion, as specific examples for CSD processing of perovskite ferroelectrics.

A new nano-manufacturing method for the creation of high aspect-ratio ferroelectric (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3) nanostructures by use of polymeric templates is presented. The ferroelectric response is characterized by band-excitation PFM, supporting the high quality of the nanostructures. Piezoelectric size effects for ferroelectric materials are reported for the first time in nanotube configuration (critical thickness ∼15 nm) and compared to thin films' response.

William D. Schindel is president of ICTT System Sciences, a systems engineering company, and developer of the Systematica Methodology for model and pattern-based systems engineering. His 40-year engineering career began in mil/aero systems with IBM Federal Systems, Owego, NY, included service as a faculty member of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and founding of three commercial systems-based enterprises. He has consulted on improvement of engineering processes within automotive, medical/health care, manufacturing, telecommunications, aerospace, and consumer products businesses. Schindel earned the BS and MS in Mathematics.

The complexity of problems that engineers are being asked to solve is increasing rapidly. Effective solutions often require the integration of mechanical, electrical, computer software, chemical, and/or biological components. In order to manage this complexity, it is becoming important for all engineering students to learn how to approach the solutions to these problems using a systems perspective (Baldwin 2014). In order to better motivate this approach to students the authors are introducing it within courses of their own engineering discipline. The authors are adapting traditional systems engineering concepts to create a framework of system models that can be introduced into courses of any engineering discipline at any level. Through the process of learning how to create these models, students gain an understanding of what is meant by a systems perspective and how this perspective can help them to solve problems. This paper discusses which systems models were incorporated into undergraduate curriculum and how each model is broken‐down into pieces that are easier for undergraduates to understand and faculty to teach.

The dielectric response of (1−x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PZN-x%PT,4.5≤x≤12) single crystals is reported for ac field amplitudes up to ∼2 kV/cm at 1 kHz. The Rayleigh law is used to study the dielectric nonlinear response. It is found that the extrinsic contributions are extremely anisotropic. Rhombohedral crystals poled along [001]C showed enhanced extrinsic contributions to their dielectric response with respect to those poled along [111]C, while in tetragonal crystals, the enhancement was observed for poling along [111]C rather than along [001]C. This is attributed to “domain engineering” or higher domain wall concentrations in ferroelectric crystals poled along nonpolar axes.