Charge motion in ferroelectric thin films

Switching of the direction of polarization in ferroelectric thin films can be used as a mechanism for space-efficient memory storage in microcircuits. The fields required for adequate switching rates are of the order of 5 × 105 volts/cm. At these high fields, there are several potential mechanisms for the motion of charged species in the film with a resulting degradation of properties. The defect chemistry and charge transport mechanisms in perovskite-based systems are reviewed, and their pertinence for the development of stable, reliable memory elements is discussed.