Abstract
Domain orientations and their volume ratios in ferroelectrics are recognized as a compelling topic recently for domain switching dynamics and domain stability in devices application. Here, an optimized second harmonic generation method has been explored for ferroelectric domain characterization. Combing a unique theoretical model with azimuth-polarization-dependent second harmonic generation response, the complex domain components and their distributions can be rigidly determined in ferroelectric thin films. Using the proposed model, the domain structures of rhombohedral BiFeO3 films with 71° and 109° domain wall, and, tetragonal BiFeO3, Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3, and BaTiO3 ferroelectric thin films are analyzed and the corresponding polarization variants are determined. This work could provide a powerful and all-optical method to track and evaluate the evolution of ferroelectric domains in the ferroelectric-based devices.
Highlights
It is critical to understand ferroelectric domain orientations and domain switching through external stimulation, where the domain orientations have an intense influence on ferroelectric properties and the fluctuation of domain volume fractions due to domain switching or backswitching dominates the efficiency and stability of ferroelectric devices.[11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]
Recent advances have pointed out that the second harmonic generation (SHG) is a promising all-optical approach for probing domain structures in ferroelectrics, as the symmetrical-dependent SHG signals present a unique response to the domain structures, and the adjustable probe size could adapt to the scale of the semiconductor devices.[35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49]
Laser beam is incident on a ferroelectric sample with an incident angle γ (γ = 45°) and the generated SHG signals are collected in the reflection configuration
Summary
Ferroelectric materials, possessing excellent ferroelectric and electro-optical (EO) properties, have fostered the development of electronic and optoelectronic devices, e.g., sensors, actuesators, nonvolatile memories, and optical communication systems.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] In those applications, it is critical to understand ferroelectric domain orientations and domain switching through external stimulation, where the domain orientations have an intense influence on ferroelectric properties and the fluctuation of domain volume fractions due to domain switching or backswitching dominates the efficiency and stability of ferroelectric devices.[11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23] the precise determination of ferroelectric domain orientations and their volume fractions is required in view of ferroelectric device engineering and in the corresponding physics mechanism, such as fatigue and retention.A lot of efforts have been invested to evaluate domain structures of ferroelectrics. Ferroelectric materials, possessing excellent ferroelectric and electro-optical (EO) properties, have fostered the development of electronic and optoelectronic devices, e.g., sensors, actuesators, nonvolatile memories, and optical communication systems.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] In those applications, it is critical to understand ferroelectric domain orientations and domain switching through external stimulation, where the domain orientations have an intense influence on ferroelectric properties and the fluctuation of domain volume fractions due to domain switching or backswitching dominates the efficiency and stability of ferroelectric devices.[11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23] the precise determination of ferroelectric domain orientations and their volume fractions is required in view of ferroelectric device engineering and in the corresponding physics mechanism, such as fatigue and retention. Recent advances have pointed out that the second harmonic generation (SHG) is a promising all-optical approach for probing domain structures in ferroelectrics, as the symmetrical-dependent SHG signals present a unique response to the domain structures, and the adjustable probe size could adapt to the scale of the semiconductor devices.[35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49] this optical approach can readily access the domain structures in the heterostructures that the ferroelectric layer is covered by nonferroelectric materials
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