Spin coating formation of self-assembled ferroelectric β-glycine films

ABSTRACT

The formation of self-assembled ferroelectric glycine films of various morphologies by spin coating technique was investigated. The film morphology varied from dendritic feather-like structure to arrays of individual micro- and nanoislands and 15 nm-thick layers. It was confirmed by confocal Raman microscopy that most of the films belonged to ferroelectric beta phase. Piezoelectric properties and domain structure of the films were studied by piezoresponse force microscopy.

KEYWORDS:

• Spin coating
• organic ferroelectrics
• piezoelectrics
• glycine
• self-assembling

Acknowledgments

The equipment of the Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern nanotechnology” UrFU was used. The authors thank A.P. Turygin for the help with semicontact AFM measurements and E.L. Rumyantsev for the help with the manuscript preparation.

Funding

This work was developed in the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when applicable co-financed in part by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (agreement UID RFMEFI59414X0011), by Russian Federation President grant for young scientists MK-6554.2015.2 and by the Government of the Russian Federation (Act 211, Agreement 02.A03.21.0006).