Anomalous Motion of Charged Domain Walls and Associated Negative Capacitance in Copper-Chlorine Boracite.

During switching, the microstructure of a ferroelectric normally adapts to align internal dipoles with external electric fields. Favorably oriented dipolar regions (domains) grow at the expense of those in unfavorable orientations and this is manifested in a predictable field-induced motion of the walls that separate one domain from the next. Here, the discovery that specific charged 90°domain walls in copper-chlorine boracite move in the opposite direction to that expected, increasing the size of the domain in which polarization is anti-aligned with the applied field, is reported. Polarization-field (P-E) hysteresis loops, inferred from optical imaging, show negative gradients and non-transient negative capacitance, throughout the P-E cycle. Switching currents (generated by the relative motion between domain walls and sensing electrodes) confirm this, insofar as their signs are opposite to those expected conventionally. For any given bias, the integrated switching charge due to this anomalous wall motion is directly proportional to time, indicating that the magnitude of the negative capacitance component should be inversely related to frequency. This passes Jonscher's test for the misinterpretation of positive inductance and gives confidence that field-induced motion of these specific charged domain walls generates a measurable negative capacitance contribution to the overall dielectric response.

Injection and controlled motion of conducting domain walls in improper ferroelectric Cu-Cl boracite.

Ferroelectric domain walls constitute a completely new class of sheet-like functional material. Moreover, since domain walls are generally writable, erasable and mobile, they could be useful in functionally agile devices: for example, creating and moving conducting walls could make or break electrical connections in new forms of reconfigurable nanocircuitry. However, significant challenges exist: site-specific injection and annihilation of planar walls, which show robust conductivity, has not been easy to achieve. Here, we report the observation, mechanical writing and controlled movement of charged conducting domain walls in the improper-ferroelectric Cu3B7O13Cl. Walls are straight, tens of microns long and exist as a consequence of elastic compatibility conditions between specific domain pairs. We show that site-specific injection of conducting walls of up to hundreds of microns in length can be achieved through locally applied point-stress and, once created, that they can be moved and repositioned using applied electric fields.

Direct atomic scale determination of magnetic ion partition in a room temperature multiferroic material.

The five-layer Aurivillius phase Bi6TixFeyMnzO18 system is a rare example of a single-phase room temperature multiferroic material. To optimise its properties and exploit it for future memory storage applications, it is necessary to understand the origin of the room temperature magnetisation. In this work we use high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, EDX and EELS to discover how closely-packed Ti/Mn/Fe cations of similar atomic number are arranged, both within the perfect structure and within defect regions. Direct evidence for partitioning of the magnetic cations (Mn and Fe) to the central three of the five perovskite (PK) layers is presented, which reveals a marked preference for Mn to partition to the central layer. We infer this is most probably due to elastic strain energy considerations. The observed increase (>8%) in magnetic cation content at the central PK layers engenders up to a 90% increase in potential ferromagnetic spin alignments in the central layer and this could be significant in terms of creating pathways to the long-range room temperature magnetic order observed in this distinct and intriguing material system.

Absence of evidence ≠ evidence of absence: statistical analysis of inclusions in multiferroic thin films.

Assertions that a new material may offer particularly advantageous properties should always be subjected to careful critical evaluation, especially when those properties can be affected by the presence of inclusions at trace level. This is particularly important for claims relating to new multiferroic compounds, which can easily be confounded by unobserved second phase magnetic inclusions. We demonstrate an original methodology for the detection, localization and quantification of second phase inclusions in thin Aurivillius type films. Additionally, we develop a dedicated statistical model and demonstrate its application to the analysis of Bi(6)Ti(2.8)Fe(1.52)Mn(0.68)O18 (B6TFMO) thin films, that makes it possible to put a high, defined confidence level (e.g. 99.5%) to the statement of 'new single phase multiferroic materials'. While our methodology has been specifically developed for magnetic inclusions, it can easily be adapted to any other material system that can be affected by low level inclusions.

Nanoscale ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of Sb2S3 nanowire arrays.

We report the first observation of piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity in individual Sb(2)S(3) nanowires embedded in anodic alumina templates. Switching spectroscopy-piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM) measurements demonstrate that individual, c-axis-oriented Sb(2)S(3) nanowires exhibit ferroelectric as well as piezoelectric switching behavior. Sb(2)S(3) nanowires with nominal diameters of 200 and 100 nm showed d(33(eff)) values around 2 pm V(-1), while the piezo coefficient obtained for 50 nm diameter nanowires was relatively low at around 0.8 pm V(-1). A spontaneous polarization (P(s)) of approximately 1.8 µC cm(-2) was observed in the 200 and 100 nm Sb(2)S(3) nanowires, which is a 100% enhancement when compared to bulk Sb(2)S(3) and is probably due to the defect-free, single-crystalline nature of the nanowires synthesized. The 180° ferroelectric monodomains observed in Sb(2)S(3) nanowires were due to uniform polarization alignment along the polar c-axis.

Comparative measurements of piezoelectric coefficient of PZT films by Berlincourt, interferometer, and vibrometer methods.

Chemical solution deposition (CSD) techniques were used to prepare lead zirconate (Zr) titanate (Ti) (PZT) thin films with Zr/Ti ratios of 30/70 and 52/48. Usually CSD processing is restricted to making crack-free, single-layer films of 70-nm thick, but modifications to the sol-gel process have permitted the fabrication of dense, crack-free, single layers up to 200 to 300 nm thick, which can be built-up into layers up to 3-microm thick. Thicker PZT films (> 2-microm single layer) can be produced by using a composite sol-gel/ceramic process. Knowledge of the electroactive properties of these materials is essential for modeling and design of novel micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, but accurate measurement of these properties is by no means straightforward. A novel, double-beam, common-path laser interferometer has been developed to measure the longitudinal (d33) piezoelectric coefficient in films; the results were compared with the values obtained by Berlin-court and laser scanning vibrometer methods. It was found that, for thin-film samples, the d(33,f) values obtained from the Berlincourt method are usually larger: than those obtained from the interferometer and the vibrometer methods; the reasons for this are discussed.

Flextensional ultrasonic piezoelectric micro-motor.

This paper presents the experimental design, construction, and operational characteristics of a new type of standing wave piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-motor. The motor uses a composite stator, consisting of a metallic flex-tensional mode converter, or "cymbal", bonded to a 2-mm-square piezoelectric plate. The cymbal converts contour-mode vibrations of the plate into oscillations in the cymbal, perpendicular to the stator plane. These are further converted into rotational movement in a rotor pressed against the cymbal by means of an elastic-fin friction drive to produce the required rotary actuation. The motor operates on a single-phase electrical supply, and direct control of the output speed and torque can be achieved by adjusting the amplitude and frequency of the supply voltage. Noncontact optical techniques were used to assess the performance of the developed micro-motor. The operational characteristics were developed from the acceleration and deceleration characteristics. No-load output speed (11 rev s(-1)) and stall torque (27 nNm) were derived using high-speed imaging and image analysis. Maximum efficiency was 0.6%.

Nanotechnology--what is it? Should we be worried?

This paper describes the origins of nanoscience from theoretical reasoning to its realization in terms of mechanical manipulation of atoms. The ability to visualize and manipulate matter at the nanoscale has led to a diverse technology that ranges from better and faster electronics and more efficient fuel usage to sensing, drug discovery and stronger, more resistant materials. It has the prospect of affecting the lives of all of us and already a number of applications are in the market-place. But in our development of these technologies, we need to take care to reduce the risks of the adverse consequences that usually attend new applications of science.

Fabrication and modeling of high-frequency PZT composite thick film membrane resonators.

High-frequency, thickness mode resonators were fabricated using a 7 microm piezoelectric transducer (PZT) thick film that was produced using a modified composite ceramic sol-gel process. Initial studies dealt with the integration of the PZT thick film onto the substrate. Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) was selected as a diffusion barrier layer and gave good results when used in conjunction with silicon oxide (SiO2) as an etch stop layer. Using these conditions, devices were produced and the acoustic properties measured and modeled. The resonators showed a resonant frequency of about 200 MHz, an effective electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.34, and a Q factor of 22. Modeling was based on a Mason-type model that gave good agreement between the experimental data and the simulations. The latter showed, for the PZT thick film, an electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.35, a stiffness of 8.65 x 10(10) N x m(-2) and an e33,f piezoelectric coefficient of 9 C x m(-2).

Flextensional ultrasonic motor using the contour mode of a square piezoelectric plate.

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a new type of standing wave piezoelectric ultrasonic motor. The motor uses a metallic flextensional amplifier, or cymbal, to convert the contour mode vibrations of a square piezoelectric ceramic plate into flexural oscillations, which are further converted to produce rotary actuation by means of an elastic-fin friction drive. The motor operates on a single-phase electrical supply. A beryllium copper rotor design with three-fin configuration was adopted, and the geometry was varied to include different material thicknesses, fin lengths, and inclinations. The best stall torque and no load speed for a 25-mm square motor were 0.72 Nmm and 895 r/minute, respectively. The behavior of the stator structure was analyzed by ANSYS finite element software using harmonic and modal analyses. The vibration mode estimated by finite element modeling (FEM) was confirmed by laser Doppler vibration measurements.

Finite element modelling of nanostructured piezoelectric resonators (NAPIERs).

A new modification to the traditional piezoelectric thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) and solidly mounted acoustic wave resonator (SMR) is proven to significantly improve their performances. The proposed design involves the surface micro/nano structuring of planar piezoelectric thin films to realize an array of a large number of rod-like structures. In contrast to the plate-like thickness extensional resonance in traditional FBAR and SMR devices, the rod-like structures can be excited in their length extensional resonance, yielding a higher electromechanical coupling factor and effectively eliminating the spurious resonances from lateral modes of vibration. The designs have been investigated by two and three-dimensional finite element analyses and one-dimensional transmissionline modelling. The results show that significant increases in the electromechanical coupling factor of ca. 40% can be achieved by using the rod-like length extensional resonances as compared with the plate-like thickness extensional resonances in traditional devices. Simulations show that rod width-to-thickness aspect ratios of less than 0.5 could result in an electromechanical coupling factor (k2eff) of over 10% for a zinc oxide device, compared with approximately 7% for a conventional design.