Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field

Z. Q. Liu; J. H. Liu; M. D. Biegalski; J. M. Hu; S. L. Shang; Y. Ji; J. M. Wang; S. L. Hsu; A. T. Wong; M. J. Cordill; B. Gludovatz; C. Marker; H. Yan; Z. X. Feng; L. You; M. W. Lin; T. Z. Ward; Z. K. Liu; C. B. Jiang; L. Q. Chen; R. O. Ritchie; H. M. Christen; R. Ramesh

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-02454-8

Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field

Z. Q. Liu
, J. H. Liu
, M. D. Biegalski
, J. M. Hu
, S. L. Shang
, Y. Ji
, J. M. Wang
, S. L. Hsu
, A. T. Wong
, M. J. Cordill
, B. Gludovatz
, C. Marker
, H. Yan
, Z. X. Feng
, L. You
, M. W. Lin
, T. Z. Ward
, Z. K. Liu
, C. B. Jiang
, L. Q. Chen

R. O. Ritchie, H. M. Christen, R. Ramesh

Quantum Heterostructures

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cracks in solid-state materials are typically irreversible. Here we report electrically reversible opening and closing of nanoscale cracks in an intermetallic thin film grown on a ferroelectric substrate driven by a small electric field (~0.83 kV/cm). Accordingly, a nonvolatile colossal electroresistance on-off ratio of more than 10⁸ is measured across the cracks in the intermetallic film at room temperature. Cracks are easily formed with low-frequency voltage cycling and remain stable when the device is operated at high frequency, which offers intriguing potential for next-generation high-frequency memory applications. Moreover, endurance testing demonstrates that the opening and closing of such cracks can reach over 10⁷ cycles under 10-μs pulses, without catastrophic failure of the film.

Original language	English
Article number	41
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02454-8
State	Published - Dec 1 2018

Funding

Z.Q.L. acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grant No. 51771009) and the start-up grant from Beihang University. This work was partially supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Programs of ORNL managed by UT-Battelle, LLC (sample growth) and the DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, and Materials Sciences (partial electrical transport). B.G. and R.O.R. were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences, and Engineering Division. J.-M.H., Y.Ji, and L.-Q.C. acknowledge financial support from the US National Science Foundation under the DMREF program with grant number DMR1629270. R.R. acknowledges financial support from the NSF (Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems, Cooperative Agreement Award EEC-1160504). We acknowledge Y. Lee for collecting the AFM data. We dedicate this work to the late Dr Michael D. Biegalski, who was not only a well-respected research colleague, but also a wonderful father and husband, a driven athlete, and a dear friend to all of us.

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Liu, Z. Q., Liu, J. H., Biegalski, M. D., Hu, J. M., Shang, S. L., Ji, Y., Wang, J. M., Hsu, S. L., Wong, A. T., Cordill, M. J., Gludovatz, B., Marker, C., Yan, H., Feng, Z. X., You, L., Lin, M. W., Ward, T. Z., Liu, Z. K., Jiang, C. B., ... Ramesh, R. (2018). Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field. Nature Communications, 9(1), Article 41. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02454-8

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title = "Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field",

abstract = "Cracks in solid-state materials are typically irreversible. Here we report electrically reversible opening and closing of nanoscale cracks in an intermetallic thin film grown on a ferroelectric substrate driven by a small electric field (\textasciitilde{}0.83 kV/cm). Accordingly, a nonvolatile colossal electroresistance on-off ratio of more than 108 is measured across the cracks in the intermetallic film at room temperature. Cracks are easily formed with low-frequency voltage cycling and remain stable when the device is operated at high frequency, which offers intriguing potential for next-generation high-frequency memory applications. Moreover, endurance testing demonstrates that the opening and closing of such cracks can reach over 107 cycles under 10-μs pulses, without catastrophic failure of the film.",

author = "Liu, \{Z. Q.\} and Liu, \{J. H.\} and Biegalski, \{M. D.\} and Hu, \{J. M.\} and Shang, \{S. L.\} and Y. Ji and Wang, \{J. M.\} and Hsu, \{S. L.\} and Wong, \{A. T.\} and Cordill, \{M. J.\} and B. Gludovatz and C. Marker and H. Yan and Feng, \{Z. X.\} and L. You and Lin, \{M. W.\} and Ward, \{T. Z.\} and Liu, \{Z. K.\} and Jiang, \{C. B.\} and Chen, \{L. Q.\} and Ritchie, \{R. O.\} and Christen, \{H. M.\} and R. Ramesh",

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year = "2018",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-017-02454-8",

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Liu, ZQ, Liu, JH, Biegalski, MD, Hu, JM, Shang, SL, Ji, Y, Wang, JM, Hsu, SL, Wong, AT, Cordill, MJ, Gludovatz, B, Marker, C, Yan, H, Feng, ZX, You, L, Lin, MW, Ward, TZ, Liu, ZK, Jiang, CB, Chen, LQ, Ritchie, RO, Christen, HM & Ramesh, R 2018, 'Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field', Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, 41. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02454-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field

AU - Liu, Z. Q.

AU - Liu, J. H.

AU - Biegalski, M. D.

AU - Hu, J. M.

AU - Shang, S. L.

AU - Ji, Y.

AU - Wang, J. M.

AU - Hsu, S. L.

AU - Wong, A. T.

AU - Cordill, M. J.

AU - Gludovatz, B.

AU - Marker, C.

AU - Yan, H.

AU - Feng, Z. X.

AU - You, L.

AU - Lin, M. W.

AU - Ward, T. Z.

AU - Liu, Z. K.

AU - Jiang, C. B.

AU - Chen, L. Q.

AU - Ritchie, R. O.

AU - Christen, H. M.

AU - Ramesh, R.

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - Cracks in solid-state materials are typically irreversible. Here we report electrically reversible opening and closing of nanoscale cracks in an intermetallic thin film grown on a ferroelectric substrate driven by a small electric field (~0.83 kV/cm). Accordingly, a nonvolatile colossal electroresistance on-off ratio of more than 108 is measured across the cracks in the intermetallic film at room temperature. Cracks are easily formed with low-frequency voltage cycling and remain stable when the device is operated at high frequency, which offers intriguing potential for next-generation high-frequency memory applications. Moreover, endurance testing demonstrates that the opening and closing of such cracks can reach over 107 cycles under 10-μs pulses, without catastrophic failure of the film.

AB - Cracks in solid-state materials are typically irreversible. Here we report electrically reversible opening and closing of nanoscale cracks in an intermetallic thin film grown on a ferroelectric substrate driven by a small electric field (~0.83 kV/cm). Accordingly, a nonvolatile colossal electroresistance on-off ratio of more than 108 is measured across the cracks in the intermetallic film at room temperature. Cracks are easily formed with low-frequency voltage cycling and remain stable when the device is operated at high frequency, which offers intriguing potential for next-generation high-frequency memory applications. Moreover, endurance testing demonstrates that the opening and closing of such cracks can reach over 107 cycles under 10-μs pulses, without catastrophic failure of the film.

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VL - 9

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

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ER -

Electrically reversible cracks in an intermetallic film controlled by an electric field

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