Nanoscale polarization manipulation and conductance switching in ultrathin films of a ferroelectric copolymer

Authors

• Hongwei Qu, Florida International UniversityFollow
• Wei Yao, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
• T. Garcia, Florida International University
• Jiandi Zhang, Florida International UniversityFollow
• A.V. Sorokin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Stephen Ducharme, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• V.M. Fridkin, The Russian Academy of Science

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

6-16-2003

Comments

Published Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 (2003) 4322. Permission to use.

Abstract

We report the direct observation of induced molecular reorientation on a ferroelectric copolymer with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Ultrathin copolymer films of vinylidene fluoride (70%) with trifluoroethylene (30%) revealed a quasihexagonal close-packing structure with long-range polymer chain ordering. By flipping the polarity of the STM tip bias voltage, a reversal of local polarization was observed through an apparent lattice shift and was accompanied by an asymmetric ‘‘diode-like’’ character in tunneling current I(V). These results clearly demonstrated conductance switching behavior on nanoscale with local polarization reversal. © 2003 American Institute of Physics.