The piezoresponse force microscopy investigation of self-polarization alignment in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) ultrathin films

We report the self-polarization alignment without external poling in spin-coated poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE), thin films on transparent and flexible substrates. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) allows the quantitative analysis of preferentially aligned polarization in the ferroelectric thin films. We found that as-received P(VDF-TrFE) thin films on transparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) electrodes showed stronger self-polarization alignment than those on indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The relative ratios for the aligned polarization per unit volume on PEDOT:PSS and ITO electrodes were 18.6% and 4%, respectively.

[1]  A. Gruverman,et al.  High-resolution studies of domain switching behavior in nanostructured ferroelectric polymers. , 2011, Nano letters.

[2]  L. Qu,et al.  Load-tolerant, highly strain-responsive graphene sheets , 2011 .

[3]  Pooi See Lee,et al.  Enhanced ferroelectric switching characteristics of P(VDF-TrFE) for organic memory devices. , 2010, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[4]  S. Ducharme,et al.  Why ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride is special , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[5]  K. No,et al.  Effect of deposition temperature of TiO2 on the piezoelectric property of PbTiO3 film grown by PbO gas phase reaction sputtering , 2010 .

[6]  K. No,et al.  Nanoscale piezoresponse of 70 nm poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoro‐ethylene) films annealed at different temperatures , 2010 .

[7]  Yonggang Huang,et al.  Materials and Mechanics for Stretchable Electronics , 2010, Science.

[8]  K. No,et al.  Nanoscale domain growth dynamics of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) thin films , 2010 .

[9]  Youn Jung Park,et al.  Shear-Induced Ordering of Ferroelectric Crystals in Spin-Coated Thin Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) Films , 2009 .

[10]  J. Chu,et al.  Domain stabilization effect of interlayer on ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymer ultrathin film , 2009 .

[11]  Sang Il Seok,et al.  Nanocomposites of Ferroelectric Polymers with TiO2 Nanoparticles Exhibiting Significantly Enhanced Electrical Energy Density , 2009 .

[12]  Seok‐In Na,et al.  Efficient and Flexible ITO‐Free Organic Solar Cells Using Highly Conductive Polymer Anodes , 2008 .

[13]  Martijn Kemerink,et al.  Conductivity, work function, and environmental stability of PEDOT:PSS thin films treated with sorbitol , 2008 .

[14]  Sergei V. Kalinin,et al.  Local probing of relaxation time distributions in ferroelectric polymer nanomesas: Time-resolved piezoresponse force spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging , 2008 .

[15]  Kevin M. Farinholt,et al.  Energy harvesting from a backpack instrumented with piezoelectric shoulder straps , 2007 .

[16]  Haisheng Xu,et al.  Ferroelectric and switching behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymer ultrathin films with polypyrrole interface , 2007 .

[17]  Sergei V. Kalinin,et al.  Nanoscale polarization manipulation and imaging of ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett polymer films , 2006, cond-mat/0611539.

[18]  Hongwei Qu,et al.  Surface structure of ultrathin copolymer films of ferroelectric vinylidene fluoride (70%) with trifluoroethylene (30%) on graphite , 2004 .

[19]  P. Blom,et al.  Low voltage switching of a spin cast ferroelectric polymer , 2004 .

[20]  Stephen R. Forrest,et al.  The path to ubiquitous and low-cost organic electronic appliances on plastic , 2004, Nature.

[21]  G. Suchaneck,et al.  Self-Polarized PZT Thin Films: Deposition, Characterization and Application , 2004 .

[22]  V. Kochervinskii.  Piezoelectricity in crystallizing ferroelectric polymers: Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its copolymers (A review) , 2003 .

[23]  S. Ducharme,et al.  Heterojunction diode fabrication from polyaniline and a ferroelectric polymer , 2002 .

[24]  Joseph R. Burns,et al.  The Energy Harvesting Eel: a small subsurface ocean/river power generator , 2001 .

[25]  R. Friend,et al.  Built-in field electroabsorption spectroscopy of polymer light-emitting diodes incorporating a doped poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) hole injection layer , 1999 .

[26]  B. Tuttle,et al.  Annealing effects on the internal bias field in ferroelectric PZT thin films with self-polarization , 1999 .

[27]  N. Setter,et al.  Self-polarization effect in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films , 1998 .

[28]  V. Fridkin,et al.  Changes in Metallicity and Electronic Structure Across the Surface Ferroelectric Transition of Ultrathin Crystalline Poly(vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene) Copolymers , 1998 .

[29]  B. Hsieh,et al.  Work function of indium tin oxide transparent conductor measured by photoelectron spectroscopy , 1996 .

[30]  B. Tuttle,et al.  Depolarization and hysteresis loop asymmetry in PZT thin films with self polarization , 1994 .