Abstract

A lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr0.4Ti0.6)O3 (PZT40/60) film was deposited on a Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate by a sol–gel process followed by thermal annealing at 650 °C for 5 min. Piezoresponse force microscope observation revealed a lamellar domain structure in the PZT40/60 grains and we attribute the lamellar domains as 90° ferroelectric domains. The polarization-switching mechanism of the 90° domains in the PZT40/60 film under external electric fields has also been studied and it was revealed that a large-area polarization switching is usually accompanied by the appearance of a new direction of 90° domains in order to reduce the stress in the grains. By contrast, a nanometer-sized polarization switching is believed to be accomplished by generating 180° domains within a single lamellar domain.

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