Domain structure of (100)/(001)-oriented epitaxial PbTiO3 thick films with various volume fraction of (001) orientation grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

(100)/(001)-oriented epitaxial PbTiO3 films thicker than 1 μm were grown on various types of substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The domain structures of these films with different volume fractions of (001) were investigated. Domain structures, consisting of (100)/(001)-oriented domains, were observed regardless of the type of substrate. However, the tilting angles of the a- and c-domains from the surface normal linearly changed with the volume fraction of the (001) orientation. These results suggest that the volume fraction of the (001) orientation is crucial in identifying the domain structure of PbTiO3 thick films.

Ferroelectric domains in epitaxial PbTiO3 films on LaAlO3 substrate investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy and far-infrared reflectance

“…This coexistence suggests that the eventual transformation between the two patterns would probably occur gradually. In fact, very similar domain patterns with a 1 /a 2 /a 1 /a 2 stripes embedded in the prevailing c/a/ c/a arrangement have been also systematically encountered 18,20,26 in relatively thick PbTiO 3 films grown on SrTiO 3 (thickness about 1 lm or more). Let us note that in agreement with the previous theoretical and experimental estimates for c-domain fraction in 250 nm PbTiO 3 films on a substrate like LaAlO 3 (see Ref.…”

“…[1][2][3][4] The PbTiO 3 perovskite is one of the key ferroelectric materials with a relatively high transition temperature 5-8 T C ¼ : 490 C, and so the properties of PbTiO 3 thin films grown on various substrates with comparable lattice parameters have been largely studied theoretically 9-16 as well as by a range of experimental techniques, such as atomic force and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), [17][18][19][20] x-ray diffraction, [21][22][23][24][25][26][27] transmission electron microscopy, 28 or Raman scattering. 27,[29][30][31] It is important to note that the ferroelectricity in PbTiO 3 is accompanied by a sizable spontaneous strain, responsible for the cubic-to-tetragonal lattice distortion of the stress-free bulk (c/a % 1.06 at room temperature).…”

Ferroelectric nanodomains in epitaxial PbTiO3 films grown on SmScO3 and TbScO3 substrates

“…The PFM images of PTO/TSO film reveal dominantly c-domain signal with narrow minor atype domains in a c/a/c/a arrangements, while the film grown on SSO substrate is mostly showing only a-domains arranged in a/a/a/a stripes revealing fine structure of (110) been also observed in PTO films grown on STO substrates 26 and it can be assigned to a minor fraction of a/a/a/a lamellae. [27][28][29] Finally, the kidney-shaped (dark) islands with about 100 nm diameter correspond to the inverted structure with opposite overall spontaneous polarization. Consequently, the borders of these islands are mostly formed by 180-degree domain walls.…”

Diffraction contrast analysis of 90° and 180° ferroelectric domain structures of PbTiO3thin films

“…The domain structure of PTO films has been studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) [7][8][9][10][11]. The domain structure of PTO films depends on the film thickness and the type of fabrication method.…”

“…In films thicker than 1100 nm, c-domains tilt along the fourfold degenerate [110], [110], [110], and [110] STO axes [9][10][11]. The domain structure model of such thick films has been proposed on the basis of XRD and PFM results [9][10][11].…”