The Interplay Between Ferroelectricity and Electrochemical Reactivity on the Surface of Binary Ferroelectric AlxB1-xN

Yongtao Liu; Anton Ievlev; Joseph Casamento; John Hayden; Susan Trolier-McKinstry; Jon Paul Maria; Sergei V. Kalinin; Kyle P. Kelley

doi:10.1002/aelm.202300489

The Interplay Between Ferroelectricity and Electrochemical Reactivity on the Surface of Binary Ferroelectric Al_xB_1-xN

Yongtao Liu, Anton Ievlev, Joseph Casamento, John Hayden, Susan Trolier-McKinstry, Jon Paul Maria, Sergei V. Kalinin, Kyle P. Kelley

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

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polarization dynamics and domain structure evolution in ferroelectric Al_0.93B_0.07N are studied using piezoresponse force microscopy and spectroscopies in ambient and controlled atmosphere environments. The application of negative unipolar and bipolar first-order reverse curve (FORC) waveforms leads to a protrusion-like feature on the Al_0.93B_0.07N surface and a reduction of electromechanical response due to electrochemical reactivity. A surface change is also observed on the application of fast alternating current bias. At the same time, the application of positive biases does not lead to surface changes. Comparatively in a controlled glove box atmosphere, stable polarization patterns can be observed, with minuscule changes in surface morphology. This surface morphology change is not isolated to applying biases to free surface, a similar topographical change is also observed at the electrode edges when cycling a capacitor in an ambient environment. The study suggests that surface electrochemical reactivity may have a significant impact on the functionality of this material in the ambient environment. However, even in the controlled atmosphere, the participation of the surface ions in polarization switching phenomena and ionic compensation is possible.

Original language	English
Article number	2300489
Journal	Advanced Electronic Materials
Volume	10
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202300489
State	Published - Feb 2024

Funding

This effort (materials synthesis, PFM measurements) was supported as part of the center for 3D Ferroelectric Microelectronics (3DFeM), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE‐SC0021118. The research (PFM measurements) was were performed and partially supported at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility. ToF‐SIMS characterization was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and using instrumentation within ORNL's Materials Characterization Core provided by UT‐Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE‐AC05‐00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. Sergei V. Kalinin acknowledges support from the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) user facility which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, project no. CNMS2023‐A‐01923. This effort (materials synthesis, PFM measurements) was supported as part of the center for 3D Ferroelectric Microelectronics (3DFeM), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0021118. The research (PFM measurements) was were performed and partially supported at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility. ToF-SIMS characterization was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and using instrumentation within ORNL's Materials Characterization Core provided by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. Sergei V. Kalinin acknowledges support from the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) user facility which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, project no. CNMS2023-A-01923.

Keywords

aluminum boron nitride
electrochemical
ferroelectrics
piezoresponse force microscopy

Access to Document

10.1002/aelm.202300489

Cite this

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title = "The Interplay Between Ferroelectricity and Electrochemical Reactivity on the Surface of Binary Ferroelectric AlxB1-xN",

abstract = "Polarization dynamics and domain structure evolution in ferroelectric Al0.93B0.07N are studied using piezoresponse force microscopy and spectroscopies in ambient and controlled atmosphere environments. The application of negative unipolar and bipolar first-order reverse curve (FORC) waveforms leads to a protrusion-like feature on the Al0.93B0.07N surface and a reduction of electromechanical response due to electrochemical reactivity. A surface change is also observed on the application of fast alternating current bias. At the same time, the application of positive biases does not lead to surface changes. Comparatively in a controlled glove box atmosphere, stable polarization patterns can be observed, with minuscule changes in surface morphology. This surface morphology change is not isolated to applying biases to free surface, a similar topographical change is also observed at the electrode edges when cycling a capacitor in an ambient environment. The study suggests that surface electrochemical reactivity may have a significant impact on the functionality of this material in the ambient environment. However, even in the controlled atmosphere, the participation of the surface ions in polarization switching phenomena and ionic compensation is possible.",

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author = "Yongtao Liu and Anton Ievlev and Joseph Casamento and John Hayden and Susan Trolier-McKinstry and Maria, {Jon Paul} and Kalinin, {Sergei V.} and Kelley, {Kyle P.}",

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N2 - Polarization dynamics and domain structure evolution in ferroelectric Al0.93B0.07N are studied using piezoresponse force microscopy and spectroscopies in ambient and controlled atmosphere environments. The application of negative unipolar and bipolar first-order reverse curve (FORC) waveforms leads to a protrusion-like feature on the Al0.93B0.07N surface and a reduction of electromechanical response due to electrochemical reactivity. A surface change is also observed on the application of fast alternating current bias. At the same time, the application of positive biases does not lead to surface changes. Comparatively in a controlled glove box atmosphere, stable polarization patterns can be observed, with minuscule changes in surface morphology. This surface morphology change is not isolated to applying biases to free surface, a similar topographical change is also observed at the electrode edges when cycling a capacitor in an ambient environment. The study suggests that surface electrochemical reactivity may have a significant impact on the functionality of this material in the ambient environment. However, even in the controlled atmosphere, the participation of the surface ions in polarization switching phenomena and ionic compensation is possible.

AB - Polarization dynamics and domain structure evolution in ferroelectric Al0.93B0.07N are studied using piezoresponse force microscopy and spectroscopies in ambient and controlled atmosphere environments. The application of negative unipolar and bipolar first-order reverse curve (FORC) waveforms leads to a protrusion-like feature on the Al0.93B0.07N surface and a reduction of electromechanical response due to electrochemical reactivity. A surface change is also observed on the application of fast alternating current bias. At the same time, the application of positive biases does not lead to surface changes. Comparatively in a controlled glove box atmosphere, stable polarization patterns can be observed, with minuscule changes in surface morphology. This surface morphology change is not isolated to applying biases to free surface, a similar topographical change is also observed at the electrode edges when cycling a capacitor in an ambient environment. The study suggests that surface electrochemical reactivity may have a significant impact on the functionality of this material in the ambient environment. However, even in the controlled atmosphere, the participation of the surface ions in polarization switching phenomena and ionic compensation is possible.

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