Ferroelectric Random Access Memories

Publications../EdwinGarcia/Publications.html
Research../LCMD/HOME.html
People../LCMD/People.html
An innovative methodology is being developed that utilizes the experimental results of Electron Back Scattered Diffraction to map the crystallographic orientation of each grain, the Finite Element method to simulate the local grain-grain interactions,  and finally Piezo-Force Microscopy to infer the local properties of polycrystalline ferroelectric materials by comparing the output of the numerical calculations with the experimental results. The proposed combined method resolves the local hysteretic and electromechanical interactions in polycrystalline ferroelectric films, thus quantifying the effects of grain corners and boundaries on the polycrystal's macroscopic response. For a polycrystalline PZT sample, a finite range of crystallographic orientations and epitaxial strains is found to enhance the out-of-plane electrical response of the film with respect to its single-crystal, stress-free counter part. Results show that  {111} oriented grains parallel to the normal of the surface of the film yield the largest polarization magnitude enhancement, compressive stresses, and built-in electric fields, as well as an asymmetry in the quasistatic coercive field. In the absence of epitaxial strains, {001} oriented grains will be enhanced in their out-of-plane hysteretic response through the in-plane compressive stresses provided by the local neighboring grains. For the studied sample, grain corners and boundaries become favorable sites for pinning or nucleation of ferroelectric domains, depending on the local state of stress and polarization.
 
click here to view a recent QuickTime presentation
(will take some time to load)FerroelectricsPresentation.html

Current research focuses on exploring the effects of grain size, texture, and misorientation distributions on the hysteretic and electromechanical response, ferroelectric domain kinetics (including domain pinning and domain nucleation and growth), and effective coercive field. The goal is to provide quantify the effects of microstructure to tailor the local and macroscopic hysteretic response for specific technological applications, such as actuators, mechanical sensors, and random access memories.

Introduction

Recent Developments

(Sarah Leach and Heather Murdoch)

relevant papers can be found for download by clicking here../EdwinGarcia/Publications.html