Current Transients to Detect Polarization Reversal of Ferroelectric Nanoislands by Conducting AFM

Abstract

We report on the concept for a new ferroelectric memory device with a favorable scaling of the read-out current. We investigate theoretically and experimentally the change of the piezoelectric response for applied fields exceeding the coercive field. Especially the dependence of the response on the applied field is checked and the influence on the behavior of the material during switching is discussed. The measurements were carried out at the top and the slope of PbZr _0.48 Ti _0.52 O ₃ nanoislands as a ferroelectric model system. Based on this results calculations for thin films are done indicating a new concept for a memory device.