Abstract
Domain engineering in ferroelectric thin films is crucial for next-generation microelectronic and photonic technologies. Here, a method is demonstrated to precisely control domain configurations in BaTiO3 thin films through low-energy He ion implantation. The approach transforms a mixed ferroelectric domain state with significant in-plane polarization into a uniform out-of-plane tetragonal phase by selectively modifying the strain state in the film’s top region. This structural transition significantly improves domain homogeneity and reduces polarization imprint, leading to symmetric ferroelectric switching characteristics. The demonstrated ability to manipulate ferroelectric domains post-growth enables tailored functional properties without compromising the coherently strained bottom interface. The method’s compatibility with semiconductor processing and ability to selectively modify specific regions make it particularly promising for practical implementation in integrated devices. This work establishes a versatile approach for strain-mediated domain engineering that could be extended to a wide range of ferroelectric systems, providing new opportunities for memory, sensing, and photonic applications where precise control of polarization states is essential.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 031105 |
| Journal | APL Materials |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2025 |
Funding
This material was based on work supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (synthesis and characterization). A.H. was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Grant No. HE8737/1-1. The SHG spectroscopy measurement was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering (Ames National Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Iowa State University under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358). Synthesis and irradiation work was conducted as part of a user project at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.