An overview of the state of art in ferroelectric thin films is presented. First, we review applications: microsystems' applications, applications in high frequency electronics, and memories based on ferroelectric materials. The second section deals with materials, structure (domains, in particular), and size effects. Properties of thin films that are important for applications are then addressed: polarization reversal and properties related to the reliability of ferroelectric memories, piezoelectric nonlinearity of ferroelectric films which is relevant to microsystems' applications, and permittivity and loss in ferroelectric films-important in all applications and essential in high frequency devices. In the context of properties we also discuss nanoscale probing of ferroelectrics. Finally, we comment on two important emerging topics: multiferroic materials and ferroelectric one-dimensional nanostructures. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

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Ferroelectric thin films: Review of materials, properties, and applications

Starting with the history of the fundamental science of the relation of structure to composition delineated completely by Goldschmidt, we use the perovskite structure to illustrate the enormous pow...

The perovskite structure—a review of its role in ceramic science and technology

The physics of pyroelectric detectors is reviewed, including a discussion of response and electronic noise and their dependence on device design and material parameters Other sources of noise are described, particularly as generated by environmental effects such as microphony, together with techniques for their minimisation The range of ferroelectric materials which have been assessed for use in pyroelectric detectors is reviewed and their properties compared, particularly from the aspect of application to different types of devices Finally, an account is given of the wide range of applications for which pyroelectric detectors have been used, including a detailed description of both the pyroelectric vidicon and pyroelectric arrays and their application to thermal imagers

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0034-4885/49/12/002/pdf

Pyroelectric devices and materials

This paper reviews deposition, integration, and device fabrication of ferroelectric PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) films for applications in microelectromechanical systems. As examples, a piezoelectric ultrasonic micromotor and pyroelectric infrared detector array are presented. A summary of the published data on the piezoelectric properties of PZT thin films is given. The figures of merit for various applications are discussed. Some considerations and results on operation, reliability, and depolarization of PZT thin films are presented.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0960-1317/10/2/307/pdf

Ferroelectric thin films for micro-sensors and actuators: a review

The study of magnetoelectric materials has recently received renewed interest, in large part stimulated by breakthroughs in the controlled growth of complex materials and by the search for novel materials with functionalities suitable for next generation electronic devices. In this Progress Report, we present an overview of recent developments in the field, with emphasis on magnetoelectric coupling effects in complex oxide multiferroic composite materials.

Magnetoelectric coupling effects in multiferroic complex oxide composite structures.

The trends in integrated circuit packaging technology are toward high speed, high density, reliability, and low cost These demand the improvement of material formulations and processing technology Among the thick-film materials systems, conductor materials generally represent an important and the most expensive element Therefore, attention has been centered on the performance of the fired metal film and its cost Silver and palladium (Ag/Pd) conductors are important components of thick-film paste technology Thick-film Ag/Pd conductors find applications in many aspects of electronics and electronic packaging, such as hybrid microcircuits, multichip modules, packaging for integrated microcircuits, and in passive electronic components such as multilayer capacitors, varistors, and inductors In this paper, the performance and properties of fired Ag/Pd films are discussed through their physical and chemical aspects The final film properties are correlated to a number of factors, including thermodynamics and kinetics of Pd oxidation during burnout and firing; chemical and physical reaction of the Ag/Pd with the ceramic substrate, organic vehicle, and solder; Ag diffusion and migration; inorganic and organic additives; powders characteristics; and paste properties

Silver-Palladium Thick-Film Conductors

A sintering, microstructural development and dielectric property study of BaTiO3–LiF ceramics was performed to assess the potential application of low-fired multilayer capacitors. Not only does LiF allow for sintering below 1000 °C, it also allows for the manipulation of dielectric properties and interfaces within BaTiO3–LiF ceramics. Using mixing laws, a model of the dielectric properties of the core-shell microstructures is presented that agrees well with the observed experimental data.

Structure property relationships in core-shell BaTiO3—LiF ceramics

Well-crystallized polycrystalline films of cubic BaTiO3 have been synthesized on Ti metal substrates by electrochemical, hydrothermal, and electrochemical-hydrothermal reaction of a Ti metal with a saturated solution of Ba(OH)2 in the temperature range 80 °C−200 °C. The films can be produced in the electrochemical process by the anodization of a Ti substrate in Ba(OH)2 solution at pH = 13 and current densities of the order of 10–50 mA/cm2. The films can also be synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of Ba(OH)2 and a Ti substrate without electrical bias. A combination of these two techniques reduces the reaction time to 30–45 min. The films were found to have good adherence on the substrate and films of thickness up to 2 μm could be formed within a reaction time of 45 min. Capacitance measurements have yielded a dielectric constant of 300. The films prepared by the three different techniques have been compared for crystallinity and microstructure. The thickness of the films increased with temperature and time of reaction. The crystallinity decreased with extended time of reaction for a given temperature. It is likely that a reactive intermediate such as Ti(OH)4 (aq.) is formed in all the three cases which leads to the formation of crystalline BaTiO3.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0884291400015570

Electrochemical, hydrothermal, and electrochemical-hydrothermal synthesis of barium titanate thin films on titanium substrates

The role of particle and grain size on the dielectric behavior of the perovskite relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 [PMN] was investigated. Ultrafine powders of PMN were prepared using a reactive calcination process. Reactive calcination, the process by which morphological changes take place upon reaction of the component powders, produced particle agglomerates less than 0.5 μm. Through milling, these structures were readily broken down to ∼70 nanometer-sized particulates. The highly reactive powders allowed densification as low as 900 °C, but with corresponding grain growth in the micron range. Such grain growth was associated with liquid phase sintering as a result of PbO–Nb2O5 second phase(s) pyrochlore. Sintering, assisted by hot uniaxial pressing, below the temperature of liquid formation of 835 °C, allowed the fabrication of highly dense materials with a grain size less than 0.3 μm. The dielectric and related properties were determined for samples having grain sizes in the range of 0.3 μm to 6 μm. Characteristic of relaxors, frequency dependence (K and loss) and point of Tmax were found to be related to grain and/or particle size and secondarily to the processing conditions. Modeling of particle size/dielectric behavior was performed using various dielectric properties of 0–3 composites comprised of varying size powder in a polymer matrix. An intrinsic-microdomain perturbation concept was proposed to interpret observed scaling effects of the relaxor dielectric behavior in contrast to normally accepted extrinsic grain boundary models.

Particle and grain size effects on the dielectric behavior of the relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3

Antiferroelectric lead zirconate thin films were formed on platinum coated silicon substrates by a reactive magnetron co‐sputtering method. The films showed (240) preferred orientation. The crystallization temperatures and the preferred orientation were affected by the lead content in the films. The electric field forced transformation from the antiferroelectric phase to the ferroelectric phase was observed at room temperature with a maximum polarization value of 36 μC/cm2. The average field to excite the ferroelectric state and that for the reversion to the antiferroelectric state were 267 and 104 kV/cm respectively.

Joseph P. Dougherty

Papers

Silver-Palladium Thick-Film Conductors

Structure property relationships in core-shell BaTiO3—LiF ceramics

Electrochemical, hydrothermal, and electrochemical-hydrothermal synthesis of barium titanate thin films on titanium substrates

Particle and grain size effects on the dielectric behavior of the relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3

Reactive magnetron co-sputtered antiferroelectric lead zirconate thin films